Doncaster Youth Hub to help young adults into work

The project is a partnership led by Business Doncaster, with Doncaster Chamber and Jobcentre Plus, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions’ Flexible Support Fund. It will tap into additional support and expertise from a variety of other partner organisations and employers.

The Hub will see a minimum of 250 people over the next nine months get the right skills, personal development and careers support to help them find work, training or self-employment.

The initiative starts this month (July) and follows a successful first phase of the Youth Hub between December 2020 and March 2021.

As covid restrictions are lifted the Hub will be delivered out in the communities where it is needed, alongside online and telephone support. The primary base is at Doncaster Civic Office in Doncaster town centre.

The young adults will benefit from advice and help from a range of sources including webinars, masterclasses, group sessions, recruitment academies and one-to-ones.

Cllr Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing and Business, said: “We will be working closely with our Doncaster businesses to ensure we know what real opportunities are out there for our young people and what businesses are looking for. The team will provide personalised support for young people including through delivering employer work academies to find the right match for employers. This Youth Hub will fit seamlessly into our wider borough employment, enterprise and skills response. We are determined to do all we can to help people into work. Jobs and growth are a key priority.”

Cllr Lani-Mae Ball, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Young People, said: “This dedicated Youth Hub will see professional advisers give young adults support to find jobs and explore training opportunities, help them create their CVs and make job applications and prepare them for interviews. Importantly, it will raise their aspirations and boost their confidence so they can go forward and build a successful and rewarding career.

“We want to provide local residents with the routes to enable them to obtain the latest skills, experience and qualifications to help them succeed. This Youth Hub forms one element of our overarching Education and Skills Strategy 2030 which sets out how we aim to transform Doncaster creating new opportunities for local people together.”

Doncaster Chamber’s Education Director, Suzy Broadhead, said: “By working in partnership, the Youth Hub will enable us to provide tailored support to young people from across Doncaster to give them the skills and confidence to find that first job, whilst supporting our local businesses to benefit from a young workforce with the required skills needed to continue to grow their business and support growth across the economy.”

Jillian Goodison, Youth Offer Co-ordinator at the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Doncaster Council and Doncaster Chamber to get this project of the ground. We are positive that this Youth Hub initiative will work towards supporting the young people of Doncaster and the surrounding areas, in moving closer to work by improving and enhancing their employability skills. We will be co-locating a Work Coach within the Youth Hub premises, so that we can work together, giving our customers access to a network of partner organisations who will be delivering their services from the Hub.”

 

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