Care-Experienced Youth: Breaking Barriers to Employment

0:00Young people in England who grew up in the care system faced tough odds in the job market. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that 40% of those age 19 to 21 are not an employment, education, or training. That's nearly three times the rate of 12.7% for their peers. This high number has stayed steady between 38 and 41% since the early 2010s. Campaigners argue it points to deep-rooted issues that past programs haven't fixed. Groups like the Dry-4 Foundation have spent over 15 years helping these young adults land steady jobs and training, supporting more than 750 last year alone. Employers seem open in theory, with more than 8 in 10 saying they'd hire care experienced candidates. But many don't tweak their hiring processes to fit unique backgrounds, like gaps in resumes. Nearly half never changed job descriptions to ease barriers, and one in four have no special steps to bring these applicants on board. Common hurdles include low confidence, mental health struggles, and little prior work experience.

1:04To tackle this, the charity released a new toolkit for businesses. It guides everything from posting jobs to keeping new hires based on real feedback and their own successes. Partnering with over 40 employers, like John Lewis and the Civil Service, they've shown flexible approaches pay off for everyone. By investing in these young people, companies build stronger teams and brighter futures. That's your update from Lester News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey, with a story.