Businesses need to support people back to work, says Big Issue Recruit

Businesses need to step up and help bridge the employment gap in the UK, Big Issue Group chief executive Paul Cheal has said, as new figures show unemployment rose in the country despite more than one million vacancies.

The number of people who have removed themselves from the labour market since the pandemic, either due to ill-health, Brexit or early retirement, has left many industries struggling to operate, tipping the economy into a recession as inflation spikes.

“The figures out today demonstrate a clear need for an upskilling to fill the employment gap that exists in the UK today,“ Cheal said.

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“Big Issue Recruit exists to provide those facing barriers to work with the training and support they need to enter the workplace. We are here to unlock social and economic opportunity through enterprise and would love to hear from any businesses who want to be part of our innovative service at a time of real need.”

Big Issue Recruit was launched in 2022 to help connect candidates who may be struggling to find work with suitable employers.

The unemployment rate hit 3.7 per cent between September and  November, up from 3.5 per cent in the previous quarter. The number of long-term unemployed (up to six months) also increased, driven largely by increases in people aged 16 to 24 years looking for work.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that, by historical standards, the unemployment rate remains low and the UK labour market “remains resilient”. 

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Third sector organisations have been stepping in to provide specialist job support to people who want to work but lack the skills or knowledge required to get a job in today’s environment. 

“So many people who have never worked or been out of work for some time really struggle to get into sustainable paid employment,” said Shak Dean, a job coach at Big Issue Recruit, a specialist recruitment service supporting people into sustainable employment and calling on businesses to step up and help bridge the gap.

“Many people are held back due to a lack of digital skills, health, low confidence or previous setbacks in their life or career,” he continued. “We aim to give the opportunity to marginalised individuals to gain and maintain work in a supported environment.” 

Big Issue Recruit is a specialist recruitment service, dedicated to supporting people who face barriers to joining the workforce into sustainable employment. It is a person-centred service and free to candidates, supporting individuals and employers before and during employment, as well as helping if they need support moving between jobs. 

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Job coaches work with candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds, who are experiencing poverty. 

Ola Kehinde, one of the first Big Issue Recruit candidates, from London, said : “It’s a good service for me. Shak, the job coach helping me, has supported me really well. He calls me and makes sure I’m prepared for my appointments and helps me with preparation such as my CV. I want to secure a job and work my way up the ladder internally – Big Issue Recruit has given me confidence to do that.”

If you would like to sign-up to use the service as a candidate or to learn more about how your business can support people with barriers to employment into work, visit jobs.bigissue.com, email jobs@bigissue.com or call 0207 526 3200 and ask for the Big Issue Recruit team.