Funding secured to support young people into employment

Funding has been secured by Runnymede and Elmbridge Borough Councils to help young people aged 18-24 in the boroughs to find a new job, the right training, or an apprenticeship.

A total of £54,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions will be used to continue the support for young people through the Elmbridge and Runnymede Youth Hub. Delivered by Brooklands Technical College, the Youth Hub will equip up to 120 young people with the skills, abilities, and knowledge they need to get into work.

Established in 2021, the Youth Hub helped young people affected by the Covid 19 pandemic who were struggling to find or return to work or training.

With a proven track record of delivery, the Youth Hub has provided young people with a range of skills including CV writing, interview preparation, placements and wrap around support with pastoral care and managing finances.

In the last 10 months alone, the Youth Hub has supported 125 young people with tailored advice and support, resulting in:

• 44 young people progressing into employment, apprenticeships, work experience and placements.
• 41 young people have received additional training to enhance their skills and strengthen their CV. 

Central to the success of the Youth Hub is its links with the local community. Over 100 local employers, and community and voluntary organisations have pledged support to help improve employment opportunities for young people.  

In a joint statement, the four Co-Leaders of Runnymede Borough Council said: 'Even nearly three years after the worst effects of Covid, it’s clear the pandemic had a significant impact on younger people in many ways, including employment and their education. 

It is vital that help is made available which is why we’re delighted to have secured funding from Government to invest in this important service. 

We’re proud to see how much the Youth Hub has been able to help and support people through the many routes of the working world, whilst partnering with local businesses.'

Cllr Kirsty Hewens, Portfolio Holder for Enterprise, Parking and Local Economy at Elmbridge Borough Council added: 'The Youth Hub has now supported over 480 young people since its launch, making a real impact to connect people with jobs and training and helping our young residents take the first steps in their careers. I’d encourage young people from across Elmbridge and Runnymede to get in touch and see how the Hub can help.'

Christine Ricketts, Principal at Brooklands Technical College expressed her pride saying: 'We’re proud our work to help young people has been recognised with new funding for the Youth Hub for another 12 months. From the expert advice, links with businesses to match people into local jobs and wrap around support the Hub will continue to deliver the very best service for young people across Runnymede and Elmbridge.'

Gemma Newar, Partnership Manager at Weybridge Job Centre said: 'It’s great news we can support the Youth Hub for another year. The partnership work is a great example of how we can deliver for young people, help businesses find new staff and link in a wide range of extra help to get people back to work.'

Case Study

The Youth Hub visits Addlestone Community Centre once a week. A young man came here looking for extra help.

With underlying additional needs, he struggled to sustain employment in a career relative to his training and qualifications.

The Hub worked closely with him to understand his experience of work, his ambitions, and any additional help he needed so that he could find a new job he loved.

With tailored assistance to identify potential roles and support to update his CV, the Youth Hub helped him to find a landscaping job in his hometown of Addlestone. Following a placement to understand the job, the young person took up a new role with the company and the business found a great new employee.

To find more information about the Youth Hub, visit: www.brooklands.ac.uk/youthhub