Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC) has launched the new Future Start youth employment hub to help young people get into work.
As part of a joint venture with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), two Job Coaches from local Job Centres will be permanently based at Uxbridge College from Monday 7 September. The Future Start partnership brings together Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce, employers, local authorities, education providers, and community organisations.
Bright futures
At the official launch event on Monday 14 September, Andrew Western MP, Minister for Employment, cut the ribbon and announced the opening of this innovative new project. Also in attendance was Danny Beales, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, as well as representatives from the DWP.
Speaking at the opening event, Mr Western MP said: “At the Future Start hub, it’s fantastic to see the integration between education, skills provision, and employment support. It can be intimidating if you don’t know what to do, who to reach out to, or even what sort of help it is that you need. So having it all here in one place in such a beautiful facility is really exciting.
“The Future Start hub here in Hillingdon and the 360 others that the government are going to create around the country are absolutely crucial to giving young people the connections, the confidence and the support they need to be able to get into education, employment or training.
“This partnership’s all about helping young people into work and looking at the barriers that they perhaps face to doing that. The youth hub exists to provide that one-stop shop support so that those barriers can be removed and whatever they want to do, their future’s not narrow, it’s as big and bright as anyone else’s.”
Skills and support
HRUC students and young people across Hillingdon will benefit from a range of services at Future Start. This includes wellbeing and personal support, employer-sponsored personal development programmes, skills development and training, and progression into employment with job matching, recruitment support and in-work mentoring.
With nearly one million young people currently not in education, employment, or training, the Government has introduced the Youth Guarantee to ensure that young people have access to further learning and help to get a job or an apprenticeship.
As a key provider of skills, apprenticeships, and wider learning opportunities, Uxbridge College offers the ideal location for an integrated employment hub to deliver on this guarantee.
Transforming outcomes
Jo Withers, HRUC’s Executive Director for Business Growth and Partnerships, said: “The Future Start hub is an exciting new addition to our Uxbridge College campus, providing a vital link between education and employment and helping to transform outcomes for young people in Hillingdon.
“We’re excited to work with the DWP, Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce, local authorities, and other organisations to help young people overcome the barriers to finding a job. The hub will help to ensure that more young people are progressing into employment with the skills and confidence they need to excel in the workplace.”