Our partners at the Berkeley Group are part of a powerful business coalition that has just launched a guide aiming to help major employers bring talented, marginalised young people into full-time work. It draws on the experience of companies such as M&S, BAE Systems, and the Berkeley Group, as well as the Movement to Work, a collaboration of leading UK employers providing work placements for young people struggling to get their first step on the career ladder.
Peter Cheese, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development said:
“Endlessly hiring mini-me’s may be easy but it’s unsustainable, not least because the traditional talent pools are over fished. Reaching young adults who are outside the system demands conviction and effort but it brings different insights and thinking to your organisation, as well as fulfilling a wider social purpose.”
Rob Perrins, CEO of the Berkeley Group and Chairman of the Berkeley Foundation, commented: “People ask us, why recruit someone who might not be an easy fit? The answer is, these young adults bring a whole new dimension to our business and we need different kinds of talent, not just more of the same. I also believe they have a right to have a chance and companies like us can have a transformational impact on society if we choose.”