Nearly 30% more care-experienced young people aged 19 to 21 are not in employment, education or training, versus their non-care-experienced peers, data has found.

Research from the Office of National Statistics has found that 40% of care-experienced young people are not in employment, education or training, while just 12.7% of their non-care-experienced counterparts are in the same position.

‘The gap has remained stubbornly consistent for more than a decade’, despite slight annual discrepancies, the Drive Forward Foundation has confirmed.

A survey carried out by the foundation also revealed that few employers adjust recruitment processes to include non-linear histories of work or CV gaps.

Although over 80% reported that they would consider employing care-experienced young people, almost 50% were found to never alter job descriptions or recruitment language to eliminate barriers.

Among the challenges faced by care-experienced young people are confidence, mental health struggles and limited work experience, according to responses from employers.

However, one in four said they have ‘no specific measures in place to support care-experienced candidates into work’.

The foundation has argued that employers are missing opportunities by failing to adjust recruitment processes to support care-experienced applicants, highlighting warnings that ‘standard recruitment practices are locking thousands out of employment’.

Russell Winnard, chief executive of Drive Forward Foundation, said: ‘Care-experienced young people are often assessed against assumptions that simply don’t reflect their lived reality’.

He added: ‘When recruitment systems aren’t designed with this in mind, capable and motivated people are screened out before they ever get a chance.’

To provide practical guidance for employers, the foundation has created toolkit to help organisations improve access to work for care-experienced young people.

Mr Winnard said: ‘When businesses take a more flexible and informed approach, they don’t just change outcomes for young people – they strengthen their own workforce’.