Big Issue Recruit Scheme Calls for Business Backing

THE BIG Issue Group is calling on businesses to back a new UK-wide recruitment service, the ‘Big Issue Recruit’, by creating employment pathways for people who face barriers to joining the workforce.

The service offers people who are further from the labour market access to their desired job roles by pairing them with personal Job Coaches.

For the first time in 30 years, there are now more job vacancies to fill (1.3m) than people seeking employment (1.26m).

Big Issue Recruit (BIR), is a person-centred service and free to candidates, supporting individuals pre-, during and post-employment. The service aims to bring people from a more diverse range of backgrounds into the job market.

Paul Cheal, Group CEO of The Big Issue Group, said: “Big Issue Recruit is a reliable, ethical, end-to-end method of recruitment which reduces the risk and cost of candidate churn. We are seeking partners who want to create employment pathways and work with us to fill their employment vacancies, diversify their workforce and create significant social value.”

Personal Job Coach

Job Coaches work with candidates such as prison leavers, caregivers, those with skills gaps, and with people experiencing social, health, financial or digital barriers to work.

On signing up candidates are partnered with a personal Job Coach to understand and determine their needs and goals. Job Coaches help to build confidence, skills and resilience, and coach individuals through the selection process to secure their desired roles.

Finally, Job Coaches will work with candidates to establish a relationship with their new employer and support them in their new role and career.

Big Issue Jobs

BIG is seeking partner employers to support this new service by using Big Issue Recruit to fill their vacancies and bring new candidates into the labour market.

In return, BIR will offer:

• Tailored support to hiring managers to prepare them to work with people with complex needs and best sustain their placements
• Capacity building post hire to support candidates in their placements, whilst they settle into their new roles
• Management and promotion of employer vacancies through jobs.bigissue.com
• The ability to demonstrate the social value of the investment with an annual impact report, based on SROI methodology, which evidence’s ESG commitments

James Bradbury, former Big Issue vendor in Leicester and Big Issue Recruit’s first candidate, said: “I was homeless, on the streets for two years before going to sell The Big Issue. I needed support with everything, Big Issue Group helped build my confidence.

“The staff got me involved with all different types of events, I sold at Network Rail’s Milton Keynes office for World Homelessness Day which I really enjoyed. I met lots of different people. They also helped me get a card reader so that my sales went up.

“I’ve just started a training course to go into construction work. I’ve got good customer service skills and feel much more confident about getting into employment now.”

To learn more about how your business can support people with barriers to employment into work through Big Issue Recruit, visit the BIR website, email jobs@bigissue.com or call 0207 526 3200 and ask for the Big Issue Recruit team.

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