Polly has welcomed the announcement of funding for a new Thanet Youth Hub.
Young people are set to benefit from expanded employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs as the Government continues to provide opportunity across the country. Youth Hubs bring together Jobcentre Plus, local authority services, employers and training providers under one roof to support young people aged 16–24.
Polly said:
“As Chair of the Labour group of MPs for coastal communities, tackling the persistent inequalities facing young people in seaside towns like ours is a top priority for me. Thanet continues to experience high youth unemployment and significant challenges around young people’s mental health.
“That’s why this new Youth Hub is so important for bringing vital employment and support services together under one roof, so we can help more young people access the help they need to move into decent, secure work.”
As part of this expansion, every Youth Hub will meet a set of minimum standards, ensuring young people can access on-site jobcentre support alongside mental health and housing support, skills and training opportunities, careers guidance and direct connections to employers with live job and apprenticeship opportunities.
Today’s announcement is part of the £2.5 billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and changes to the Growth and Skills Levy to prioritise young apprentices, which together create 200,000 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.
This includes a Youth Jobs Grant worth £3,000 for employers for every young person they hire aged 18-24 who has been on UC for six months, an expanded Jobs Guarantee for 18–24-year-olds, and new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors.