A national petition encouraging businesses with over 50 employees to guarantee job interviews to care leavers who meet essential job requirements has been launched by the county council.
Taking place at the House of Commons as part of a wider event to promote Staffordshire Day this Friday, the Care Leavers into Employment team will be joined by Josh MacAlister MP, Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing.
Through the development of the wider Staffordshire Movement for Care Leavers, Staffordshire County Council has been supporting care leavers into employment since April 2025.
The movement is designed to support vulnerable individuals into sustainable employment through partnerships with businesses, including Wilmott Dixon, Whitebread plc and Ikea.
So far, the scheme has helped 52 young people move into education, employment, and training. The ambition now is to launch The Guaranteed Interview Pathway, a new and unprecedented national policy framework, and to roll this out to over 25 other councils around the country.
Robin Hall, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for economy and skills, said:
One if our key priorities at the county council is to support talent, skills and inclusive growth across Staffordshire. Our existing programmes have demonstrated that when structural barriers are removed and employers are supported to act differently. We know that care leavers can and do succeed and thrive in the labour market.
We’re proud to be able to lead on such an important national initiative. This is a chance for Government, Parliament, councils, and the business community to unite behind a shared effort to create life-changing outcomes for care leavers across the country.”
The National Job Interview Promise petition and ministerial roundtable today brought together ministers, MPs and council members. Care-experienced young people also spoke and took part in a live Q&A, ensuring that the voices of these individuals shape the movement. It aims to scale this impact nationally through stronger partnerships with business and national policy support.
Young people leaving the care system face some of the greatest barriers to employment and social mobility in the UK. By the age of 22 to 25, only 31 per cent of care leavers are in education, training or work. Integrating The Guaranteed Interview Pathway into standard recruitment processes is designed to unlock opportunities and level the playing field.
Josh MacAlister MP, Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, said:
Improving employment outcomes for care-experienced young people is not only a matter of fairness, but also a critical driver of social mobility and long-term economic participation. The Guaranteed Interview Pathway addresses one of the most significant barriers faced by care leavers: simply accessing the opportunity to be considered for employment.”
