Staffordshire County Council has launched a national petition in the House of Commons calling on all UK businesses with 50 or more employees, or a turnover above £5m, to guarantee job interviews to care leavers who meet essential role requirements.
The initiative builds on The Staffordshire Movement for Care Leavers, which has already supported 67 young people into education, employment, and training since April 2025, through partnerships with employers including Ikea and Whitbread.
The council is now pushing for a National Job Interview Promise to be adopted by more than 25 local authorities across the country. The campaign highlights stark employment figures — by the age of 22–25, only 31% of care leavers are in education, training, or work.
Chloe Kelly, programme manager at Staffordshire County Council, said: ‘This is a chance for Government, Parliament, local authorities, and the business community to unite behind a shared national effort to create life-changing outcomes for care leavers across the Country.
‘Our existing programmes have demonstrated that when structural barriers are removed and employers are supported to act differently; care leavers can and do succeed and thrive in the labour market.’
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