Waitrose and John Lewis have launched a national effort to support young people leaving the care system to find meaningful jobs and further their careers.
The campaign – named the Building Happier Futures programme – forms part of the John Lewis partnership’s long-term ambition to become the employer of choice for young people who are experienced in care.
The multi-year plan has been designed to support young people from care backgrounds – who are among the most disadvantaged in society – and bring them into the partnership.
According to the retailer, lack of opportunity means that young people who grow up in care are three times less likely to be in education, employment or training by the time they reach 19 than their peers.
Young people who’ve been in care are also a third more likely to be made homeless than to go to university – with just 6% of ‘care leavers’ supported to go onto further education.
With so many businesses facing recruitment challenges, awareness of the problem is becoming increasingly important amid the cost-of-living crisis.
There are currently over 108,000 children in care across the UK today and many are often moved between accommodation at late notice.
Waitrose and John Lewis are now establishing the Building Happier Futures programme to recruit more young people who have experienced living in care, building on early pilots in Essex, London, Birmingham and Manchester.
“For the last eighteen months we have been working with Councils and charities in Manchester, Birmingham, London, Nottingham and Essex to provide training and employment in our John Lewis and Waitrose stores to care experienced young people,” John Lewis said.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Equality Summit, Sharon White – John Lewis Partnership chairman – said: “Children and young people whose childhoods were spent in care face profound challenges.
“Thousands of young people with potential are being overlooked in the national conversation and that urgently needs to change. The John Lewis Partnership from its very foundations has always had a strong social purpose – providing healthcare before the NHS,” White added.
“We would love to join forces with other businesses wishing to recruit so we can help more young people.”
