Care leavers face hiring gap as employers fall short on promises

• Care leavers are nearly three times more likely to be out of work than peers
• 40 per cent of 19–21-year-olds with care experience are Neet
• Most employers say they are open to hiring but make few changes

Thousands of care leavers in England are still struggling to find work, even as employers say they are willing to hire them. A report by the Drive Forward Foundation suggests the gap between intent and action remains wide, leaving many young people effectively shut out of the job market.

The data is hard to ignore. Around 40 per cent of care-experienced people aged 19 to 21 are not in employment, education or training, compared with 12.7 per cent of others in the same age group. That puts care leavers at nearly three times the risk of being out of work.

This comes at a time when youth unemployment is already under pressure, with nearly 1 million 16–24-year-olds across the UK currently classified as Neet. It is the highest level in more than a decade, adding urgency to an already strained system.

A survey of 500 employers found a familiar pattern. More than 80 per cent said they would consider hiring care-experienced candidates. But in practice, very few had adjusted their hiring processes. Nearly half admitted they never changed job descriptions or recruitment language, and one in four said they had no specific support measures in place.

Russell Winnard, chief executive of the Drive Forward Foundation, reportedly said care-experienced young people are often judged against assumptions that do not reflect their reality. He added that rigid recruitment systems end up filtering out capable candidates before they even get a chance.

Big funding, same old barriers?

The findings land as the government steps up efforts to tackle youth unemployment. A £1 billion scheme was announced, offering employers £3,000 per hire for young people aged 18 to 24 who have been on benefits and searching for work for at least six months.

There are also wider measures in play, including welfare reforms and a slower rise in the minimum wage for younger workers. The broader package, valued at £2.5 billion, aims to support nearly 1 million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities.

Still, the report hints that funding alone may not fix the problem. Without changes to how employers assess CVs, handle career gaps, or define “experience”, the same candidates could continue to be overlooked.

The charity has now released a toolkit aimed at helping businesses make those adjustments. It is already working with more than 40 employers, including John Lewis, Camden Council, and the civil service.

Winnard reportedly said that companies which adapted their hiring practices saw strong outcomes, both for young people and their own workforce.

A government spokesperson said, as quoted in a news report, that efforts remain focused on ensuring every young person has a chance to earn or learn, with targeted support for care leavers including higher housing allowance rates and tailored Jobcentre Plus assistance.