Ellie Hecht has launched a campaign calling for free public transport travel for under-25s attending job interviews, arguing that travel costs should not be a barrier to career opportunities for young people starting out.
The campaign has received significant press coverage, with The Global Legal Post publishing "Why Free Interview Travel for Under-25s is Essential to Improve Social Mobility," where Ellie makes the case for this important initiative. In addition, the campaign was also featured prominently in Legal Cheek and The Metro, where Hecht shared her personal experience of paying for a graduate's train fare to attend a job interview, highlighting how a small financial barrier nearly prevented a talented candidate from accessing an important opportunity.
After recently giving a candidate money from her own pocket for travel, Ellie points out that with unemployment at an 11-year high, train fares present an unnecessary obstacle preventing job-seekers from securing employment or even attending interviews. She emphasises that for every five candidates who interview, only one gets the job, meaning the rest are back interviewing again multiple times, sometimes paying over £20 for each trip.
The campaign has already achieved significant wins, with Magic Circle set Essex Court Chambers pledging to remove barriers that can prevent young people from pursuing career opportunities. Senior clerk Joe Ferrigno has called on others to follow, stating they would welcome seeing this kind of support adopted more widely.
Ellie is now calling on the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) to implement this policy more broadly, ensuring that access to opportunity doesn't depend on being able to afford travel costs.
Join InnLegal
