London
firms are being urged to recruit homeless people after new research shows many
face discrimination when applying for jobs.
Campaign
group Crisis has launched a scheme called Changing Lives to promote helping
homeless people into work.
A
pilot of the scheme – which gives awards of £2,000 – helped 125 people in find
jobs ranging from fashion design to teaching.
The
project is supported by Barclays community investment programme and provides
financial and mentoring support for homeless people to realise their career and
life ambitions.
Crisis
research shows that 85 per cent of homeless people have been in employment
before.
Crisis
said many would like to return to work but are blocked by barriers such as
discrimination, with three out of five of those interviewed (62 per cent)
saying they felt employers were less likely to give a job to a person who was
homeless.
Crisis
aims to help a total of 250 people by next June.
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