Government Ministers are being urged to act as mentors to help aspiring black and Asian managers break through the "glass ceiling".

The move aims to tackle under-representation of ethnic minorities within top positions and improve diversity in the workforce.

If adopted, it could see the likes of David Blunkett, Charles Clarke and even the Prime Minister buddied up with individuals with leadership potential from ethnic communities.

The scheme is being spearheaded by the Department for Education and Skills.

It already operates a similar programme where senior managers from its department are paired with aspiring black and Asian leaders from the world of education.

Top level civil servants from the Government office believe Ministers could also help foster talent in a similar way, initially within the education sector.

Speaking at the Black Leadership Initiative Conference in Birmingham yesterday, Jane Williams, director of the DfES standards unit, said: "We believe it might help aspiring managers if they have an insight into the work of our department.

"We have already started having people shadowing senior staff within the system.

"We have asked Ministers whether they potentially may agree to do that, too.

"We are awaiting their decision to see if they will do it."

The meeting at the International Convention Centre highlighted disproportionately low representation of black and Asian people within senior management posts.

Speakers pointed to research showing that despite ethnic minorities making up 7.2 per cent of the working population, only three per cent are employed in senior management roles at colleges.

Out of 390 colleges, only six principals are black or Asian.

In the NHS, 5.5 per cent are senior managers.

Just one per cent - equivalent to five people across 600 trusts and hospital authorities - have an ethnic background.

In the housing sector, only five per cent of the top 100 organisations have a black chief executive officer.

Waqar Azmi, chief diversity adviser to the Cabinet Office, told the conference that ethnic minorities were prevented from getting top jobs because too many organisations were "snow-capped".

"For many ethnic minorities in this country, organisations are still snow-capped.

"Racism is alive and kicking," he said.