Luton’s brand-new Youth Hub, the first in Bedfordshire, has now officially opened its doors and already started to offer wraparound support for young people not in education or work across our town. It can help with training, employment, housing issues, mental health support and more, all under one roof.
The Luton Youth Hub held its official opening on the 5th November. I was very glad to attend alongside guests including Sarah Owen, MP for Luton North, with all of us coming together to thank the team for their work and champion the impact the Hub will have across our town. Several of the young people already engaging with the service shared their experience so far, highlighting the help they had received with everything from writing CVs and interview prep to mental health support and housing advice.
Located in the town centre’s Arndale House and easily accessible through the shopping centre, young people can simply walk into the Youth Hub to find out about the support on offer or enrol on its programmes through a referral from JobCentre Plus or other existing employment support. It aims to provide a tailored approach – identifying the specific barriers young people may face, helping them to overcome these, and building their independence and confidence.
The new Luton Youth Hub is part of a national rollout with every local authority across the country set to gain a Youth Hub in their local area. Delivered by the Labour government, Youth Hubs form part of the commitment to tackle the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs).
This is backed by £2.5 billion investment, funding the Youth Hubs as well as the Youth Jobs Guarantee, which is creating paid work placements for young people aged 18-24 who have been out of work for 18 months, and the Youth Jobs Grant to incentivise businesses to take on young employees.
Early engagement with our town’s new Youth Hub has already brought positive outcomes, with multiple young people reaching interview stages and moving into employment.
Young people across our town have the talent and passion to go far in life, but for too long under the previous Conservative and Coalition governments they were left behind without the support and training to match this.
It was a huge moment to see the new Youth Hub open in our town centre and a pleasure to speak with some of the young people who have already passed through its doors. Thanks to this Labour government our young people are finally getting the support they deserve.