Two years into delivery, the team behind Skills Launchpad Plymouth, the city’s one-stop-shop for skills, training, education, careers and jobs, held a celebration event on 23 March to mark the impact of the first Youth Hub Plymouth contract.
This successful and innovative collaboration, led by Plymouth City Council in alignment with Department for Work and Pensions, established a brand new service through the Youth Hub to offer targeted support for young people aged 16-24 years, including those with additional needs.
The celebration event was hosted within Skills Launchpad Plymouth’s physical home at Barclays Plymouth, where the team acknowledged the young people engaging as members of the Youth Hub who have shone for their resilience and determination, as well as celebrating key individuals from the city-wide partnership who champion support for young people.
Reflecting on what has been achieved during the initial two year contract, Jo Lacy, Skills Launchpad Manager said: “The Youth Hub is a core offer for the Skills Launchpad Plymouth service, supporting 16 to 24-year-olds to access local opportunities, whatever their circumstances. Our work is made possible by an amazing city-wide partnership, co-investment by DWP and support from Barclays Plymouth, and at this stage in our journey we are celebrating that we have engaged with 541 young people, with 74 per cent of them moving into a positive outcome.
“Our Youth Hub Coordinator, Rhianne, is dedicated to providing tailored 1:1 support for every young person who becomes a member with us, and through 'joining the dots’, we now see impressive outcomes in transitions, including 261 young people going into employment, 208 into training and education, and 288 into pre-employability or mental health support. Of these successes, we are delighted to note that a large proportion of these young people taking their next steps are care experienced, young adult carers, young parents, have special educational needs or disabilities, or have experience of the youth justice system.
“Over the past two years, we continued to expand our offer, hosting events and workshops ranging from recruitment events to CV sessions, weekly job shops and more. We’re excited to confirm that we will be continuing to offer support to young people, particularly those who are more vulnerable, as funding from the DWP is supporting a Youth Hub 2 contract.”
Lynne McBain, Plymouth Partnership Manager at Department for Work and Pensions said: “We are delighted to have worked with Plymouth City Council to deliver the Plymouth Youth Hub for the past two years, supporting young people aged 16-24 with skills, training, education, careers and jobs.
“Having DWP work coaches working alongside the Youth Hub Coordinator and key city stakeholders across Plymouth means we can offer comprehensive services and tailored experiences, tapping into the support and knowledge available to support our customers.
“The relaxed Youth Hub environment really works well for our customers, especially those who feel nervous about attending appointments, and we have achieved some great outcomes supporting our customers into work.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the launch of Youth Hub 2 in April 2023.”
During the celebration, Youth Hub Plymouth members were acknowledged for Determination, Ambition, Progression, Resilience and Altruism. Congratulations to Aden Webb, Amy Moth Hughes, Tiegan Ross, Leah Dickinson-Black and Elizabeth Macilraith.
Praise was also given to DWP Work Coaches, the Prince’s Trust and Care Journeys, for their significant contributions.
Anyone looking for support in the city can access the services of Skills Launchpad Plymouth for free, either via access to the resources on the website at www.skillslaunchpadplym.co.uk or by signing up to become a member to access 1:1 support.