Funding for new Telford and Wrekin youth hub announced

Funding for a new youth hub, which will bolster existing job and training support for young people across the Telford and Wrekin borough, has been welcomed.

The Government has this week confirmed that Telford & Wrekin Council is one of 80 local authorities across the country to secure a slice of funding to create a new youth hub.

The hub, which will support young people aged 16 to 24, will bring together Council services, employers, training providers and Job Centre Plus. 

Councillor Lee Carter, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said:

“We are determined as a Council that we give everyone in this Borough the best chance. That means them being able to access the right support at the right time in the right location.

“This new youth hub is yet another way the Government is supporting us to be able to do that. After years of always thinking about how we stretch our own resources to make sure everyone has a chance, it is brilliant that the Government is listening and prioritising that, enabling us to do far more for a lot more people.”

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, said:

“We’ve already got a really strong offer for young people in the Borough, and we welcome the opportunity to expand the support with a new youth hub.

“Through the Telford Job Box, we currently provide a free service at Southwater One in central Telford, helping residents, including young people, to access employment, training and education opportunities.

“This runs alongside our Telford and Wrekin Skills Strategy and our Stay Near, Go Far campaign, where we’re continuing to broaden opportunities and raise awareness of the wide range of skills, learning and employment support available to help people stay local and thrive.

“The new youth hub will complement and build on this positive work, offering a dedicated space where young people can receive tailored support.

“It will further enhance our existing youth offer, which provides advice and information on activities, support and wellbeing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring every young person in Telford and Wrekin feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.”

“This is an exciting opportunity, and we look forward to sharing more details in the near future.”

Telford Job Box is a one-stop shop which offers support with CV writing, interview preparation, job applications and careers advice.

In the past 12 months, Job Box has delivered 1314 drop-in appointments, 100 outreach events, 204 employment outcomes and 182 learning outcomes for young people in years 12 and 13. It has also supported more than 180 young people in that age range to move from NEET (not in Education, Employment or Training) to EET in the last 12 months.

The government’s funding for youth hubs is part of the £2.5billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and changes to the Growth and Skills Levy.