‘I paid for a graduate to get the train for a job interview – now I’m campaigning for them’

Anyone who lives and works in London knows the pain of the morning Tube commute. Packed platforms. Boiling carriages. The cost of a 30-minute journey.

It feels like every time you tap your Oyster card at the Underground station or on the bus the price increases. And for those of us who live outside the M25, it’s even worse.

Some of us are lucky enough to live and work in this great city – but there are others struggling to get a foot in simply because the cost of back-and-forth travel is so high.

One campaigner, however, is aiming to change this.

When 27-year-old Ellie Hecht, founder of the law recruitment company InnLegal, was told by a young job applicant that they couldn’t afford the commute from Essex to London for an interview, Ellie put her hand in her own pocket to make sure they had the opportunity to get the role.

Ellie has sinced launched a campaign calling on free travel to be made available to under 25s commuting for a job interview.

Her post on LinkedIn has so far garnered more than one million views and sparked a discussion about how to make the job market more accessible to young people.

Ellie told Metro: ‘I had a job applicant from a low income background who was embarrassed because she said she couldn’t afford the travel costs, so I said I’ll pay.

‘A lot of people coming out of school or university don’t have savings or any financial backing – so they have no chance of getting into their industry.

‘This is such a huge problem. People have to start somewhere.’

Ellie said this was not the first incident of a young applicant who was unable to pay for travel for an interview.

She added that a travel scheme that helps young people access the job market better would mean they’re ‘paying taxes, spending money’ and contributing to the economy, which is important when ‘unemployment is at an 11-year high’.

Ellie said: ‘Jobs are so competitive. People can’t afford to get there. But this shouldn’t stop you getting a job.

‘Getting young people into work, it’s really important to give people a chance, a fair opportunity.’

But if young applicants are struggling to pay travel costs for job interviews ‘that’s stumbling block number one’, she said.

Essex Court Chambers in London was inspired to take action after seeing Ellie’s campaign.

Her initiative will help to ‘remove a barrier that can prevent young people from pursuing career opportunities’, said senior clerk Joe Ferrigno.

‘At Essex Court Chambers, we cover travel costs for under 25s applying for staffing roles, recognising that financial constraints should never be a deterrent to ambition or potential.

‘Access to career opportunity is a key part of improving social mobility and initiatives like this play an important role.

‘We would welcome seeing this kind of support adopted more widely.’

While she wants to see financial support for interviews first made available to under 25s, Ellie said it should go further and support other age groups too.

The social mobility charity UpReach said Ellie’s campaign will ‘break down unjust barriers to jobs’ and help young people get a foothold on the job market.

UpReach chief executive Nick Bent told Metro: ‘It’s not just about whether employers pay interview and other costs, it’s about when: young people face very tight cashflows and the best employers are making expenses payments upfront, not six weeks after the interview or event.

‘The costs associated with job interviews represent one of many invisible barriers faced by talented graduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds – barriers their wealthier peers never encounter.

‘When a student is invited to a final-stage interview in London, they face costs that quickly mount up: expensive train fares, overnight accommodation if interviews span multiple days, professional clothing they don’t already own and meals throughout the day.

‘For students from outside the capital, particularly from areas with poor transport connections, who fear being late, they may need to travel the night before, adding another night’s accommodation to the bill.

‘For students already working multiple part-time jobs to fund their studies or support families at home, taking time off means lost wages they simply cannot afford.’

He added: ‘This isn’t just about fairness, it’s also about businesses missing out on talent.

‘When only those who can afford to participate in lengthy recruitment processes make it through, employers aren’t hiring the best candidates. They’re hiring the wealthiest.’

A TfL spokesperson said: ‘TfL offers a range of discounts to customers, including the 16+ and 18+ Oyster Photocards, discounts for those on Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit, as well as the Mayor’s Hopper fare, which allows unlimited bus and tram journeys for the price of one within an hour.

‘We will always look at how we can keep public transport affordable across London, but currently there are no plans for any discounts specifically linked to people attending job interviews, which would also be logistically challenging to both implement and protect against fraud.’

A Government spokesperson said: ‘We know how important affordable and reliable public transport is in helping people reach education, work and vital services.

‘Job Centres already support job seekers’ through its Travel to Interview scheme, we’ve extended a £3 cap on bus fares until March 2027 and are making rail fares simpler so it’s even easier to take the train.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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