Issue - meetings

To note the report on the Youth Hub.

The Committee received an update on the Spelthorne Youth Hub which included statistics for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) who had provided the funding for an initial period of 12 months.

Additional funding had been obtained from the DWP for two work coaches to continue the support for the youth hub under a new “Jobs and Skills Hub” banner.  The Council would use money from the Shared Prosperity Fund for two more work coaches for “bounce back street”, a new facility to assist over 40s back into work.  The youth hub would now be incorporated into the wider Jobs and Skills Hub and would be open to any resident who needed advice regardless of their age.

The Committee noted the increased footfall since the youth hub had moved to the former Decathlon store opposite the bus station in Staines and that many young people who were walking into the hub for support were not recorded on government figures as they were not receiving benefits.  The Committee noted an appetite for apprenticeships and the continuing work with NEETS (those not in education, employment or training), including mental health support, confidence building workshops, and the use of external providers.  The youth hub worked with Brooklands College and was looking to extend its outreach to local schools.

The Committee noted the ability of the work coaches to work remotely and to meet candidates in different locations, including the Business Hub in Sunbury which they used one day a week.

The Committee resolved to note the report on the Spelthorne Youth Hub.