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Unlocked Graduates Two-Year Leadership Programme 2027

Pays £30,902 to £38,165 a year in England and Wales.

NoUnlocked Graduates Two-Year Leadership Programme (prison officer route)

No. Unlocked Graduates does not sponsor its two-year leadership programme for international students who need a visa. Unlocked's eligibility guidance states applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the programme, which specifically rules out applying on a Graduate visa.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Clears the threshold
Opportunity
graduate scheme
Pay
£30,902 to £38,165 as a Band 3 prison officer, depending on prison location
2027 cycle
No published date as of 1 October 2026
Confidence
medium

Unlocked Graduates Two-Year Leadership Programme: at a glance

Unlocked Graduates runs a two-year leadership development programme in which participants work as prison officers. It begins with Summer Institute, a five-week residential training course, followed by ongoing training and support from experienced Mentoring Prison Officers. Participants complete a fully-funded master's degree (MSc) in Applied Custodial Leadership awarded by Leeds Trinity University, and in the second year take a two-week work placement with a partner organisation. Source

Duration
Two years, starting with a five-week residential Summer InstituteSource
Locations
England, WalesSource
Starting pay
Starting salary of between £30,902 and £38,165 as a band 3 prison officer, depending on prison locationSource
“You must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the programme, which means you are not eligible to apply with a graduate visa.”
Unlocked Graduates, from its own careers pages
The catch: The pay figure looks like it clears typical visa salary thresholds, but that is beside the point since the Graduate visa itself is ruled out regardless of salary.
Unlocked Graduates early careersVerify on gov.uk

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What Unlocked Graduates publishes about this programme

Checked against Unlocked Graduates's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: not published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: not published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: not published
  • Recruitment stages: not published

More early careers programmes at Unlocked Graduates

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Unlocked Graduates sponsor visas for its two-year leadership programme?

No. Unlocked Graduates does not sponsor its two-year leadership programme for international students who need a visa. Unlocked places graduates as Band 3 prison officers for two years while they complete a fully funded, part-time MSc in Applied Custodial Leadership, with mentoring and group supervision alongside the role. Candidates need at least a 2:1 degree and GCSE grade C or above in English and maths. Unlocked's eligibility guidance states applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the programme, which specifically rules out applying on a Graduate visa.

What is the Unlocked Graduates two-year leadership programme?

Unlocked Graduates runs a two-year leadership development programme in which participants work as prison officers. It begins with Summer Institute, a five-week residential training course, followed by ongoing training and support from experienced Mentoring Prison Officers. Participants complete a fully-funded master's degree (MSc) in Applied Custodial Leadership awarded by Leeds Trinity University, and in the second year take a two-week work placement with a partner organisation.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme clears the Skilled Worker salary threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Unlocked Graduates?

The pay figure looks like it clears typical visa salary thresholds, but that is beside the point since the Graduate visa itself is ruled out regardless of salary.

When do applications open for the Unlocked Graduates two-year leadership programme?

No published date as of 1 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-01 against Unlocked Graduates's own site.

How long is the Unlocked Graduates two-year leadership programme?

Two years, starting with a five-week residential Summer Institute, according to Unlocked Graduates's own careers information.

Where is the Unlocked Graduates two-year leadership programme based?

England, Wales, according to Unlocked Graduates's own careers information.

What does the Unlocked Graduates two-year leadership programme pay?

Starting salary of between £30,902 and £38,165 as a band 3 prison officer, depending on prison location, according to Unlocked Graduates's own careers information.

How should I confirm Unlocked Graduates's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Unlocked Graduates's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.