The campaign follows new research by Spectra into the nation’s attitudes towards employing young people fresh out of care and highlights the ongoing stigma faced by candidates when applying for jobs, underlining the important role employers can make to transform outcomes.
Using the strapline, “Care Leavers Wanted”, Spectra’s campaign will run UK-wide on JCDecaux UK’s digital Out-of-Home sites and will invite companies to follow the lead of brands including: Amazon, ITV, John Lewis, JCDecaux UK, Merlin Entertainment, ITV and Sky who have already signed the Care Leaver Covenant, committing to hire care leavers and make use of their hard-won skills.
The Covenant helps care leavers navigate the difficult transition from leaving the care system at 18 to being fully independent while often lacking a support network. The programme provides mentorship, practical help with utilities and digital connectivity as well as access to job opportunities from major companies.
The campaign draws upon the new findings from Spectra that care leavers feel well-qualified to enter the job market, with 80% of care leavers believing their experience makes them more self-reliant, 78% more adaptable, and 79% more resilient than the average candidate. However, 28% of care leavers report that their upbringing makes it harder to get a job, and a quarter say they have faced negative reactions from employers when applying.
The sheer ambition and resilience demonstrated by the Care Leaver community has often been overlooked by major employers. The Covenant exists to enhance outcomes for our young people and create a network of support – what we call a ‘universal family’ - around our young people. This year’s campaign is all about reframing how care leavers are perceived and bringing their skills and worth to the fore. We say to the many brilliant organisations that have signed up to the Covenant, don’t simply hire a care leaver because you have a DE&I policy to fulfil, hire one of our young people because they embody maturity, autonomy and more empathy than anyone else.Matthew Gordon Founder of Spectra
JCDecaux UK, the UK’s leading outdoor advertising company, has recently signed the Covenant.
As part of our commitment to hiring ambitious young talent we have created two new roles for care-experienced people; Operations Coordinator Apprentice in our Brentford office and Technical Reporting Coordinator Apprentice in our Manchester office. Both roles pay above the living wage as it is important to us that no one is financially impacted by learning whilst they work.Jenny Pusey Talent Attraction Manager, JCDecaux UK
I am proud that we are bringing Spectra’s important message to a national audience across our digital Out-of-Home screens, thanks to the JCDecaux Community Channel partnership with Spectra and our creative partners: The Raised Eyebrow Society.Andy Morton Head of Development Partnerships at JCDecaux UK
