DWP Youth Hubs are focused on addressing the barriers those aged 16-24 may face in moving into work, training or learning. We are expanding our Youth Hubs to over 360 locations so that all young people – including those not on benefits – can access opportunities and wider support in every local area of Great Britain. Youth Hubs will bring together partners from health, skills and the voluntary sector, working closely with Mayors and local authorities to deliver joined-up community-based support.

There are currently no plans to establish a Youth Hub in the South Shropshire area. The nearest Youth Hub is located in the Shrewsbury constituency and is based at the Shrewsbury Town Football Club Foundation. The policy aims to ensure young people can access a Youth Hub within an hour. Where this is not possible, support remains available through their local Jobcentre.

We encourage those interested in setting up a Youth Hub to contact their local Jobcentre Service Leader.

The government is committed to ensuring every young person aged 16 – 24 has support and opportunities to enter work or education. We are investing over £2.5bn to help young people build skills, gain experience and progress into earning or learning through the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in apprenticeships via the Growth and Skills Levy over the next three years. This will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn.

Youth Hubs are a core component of the Youth Guarantee. We are expanding Youth Hubs to over 360 areas across Great Britain, underpinned by a core blueprint for minimum service standards. This will make support more accessible and better integrated with other local services in line with local needs and partnerships, ensuring young people can access joined-up employment, skills, housing and wellbeing support in their communities.

Slough is included in the expansion plans for year 2 (2027–28) of the rollout programme.

Local engagement will form an important part of establishing a Youth Hub in Slough. Members with an interest may wish to engage with their local jobcentre Service Leader to understand local plans. Collaboration between Jobcentres, local authorities and community organisations will help ensure young people can access joined-up employment, skills and wider support.

The government is committed to ensuring every young person aged 16 – 24 has support and opportunities to enter work or education. We are investing over £2.5bn to help young people build skills, gain experience and progress into earning or learning through the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in apprenticeships via the Growth and Skills Levy over the next three years. This will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn or learn.

Youth Hubs are a core component of the Youth Guarantee. We are expanding Youth Hubs to over 360 areas across Great Britain, underpinned by a core blueprint for minimum service standards. This will make support more accessible and better integrated with other local services in line with local needs and partnerships, ensuring young people can access joined-up employment, skills, housing and wellbeing support in their communities. As part of this, the Tonbridge and Malling borough is included in year 3 2028/2029 of the rollout.

Youth Hubs are not funded solely by DWP and rely on local authorities and other external partners to provide premises and the supporting infrastructure. DWP can fund partner staff salaries, IT and administrative support to help ensure effective delivery of services for young people. DWP will also provide work coaches to work in Youth Hubs for a minimum of three days per week.

Local engagement will form an important part of establishing a Youth Hub in Tonbridge and Malling. Members with an interest may wish to engage with their local jobcentre Service Leader to understand local plans. Collaboration between Jobcentres, local authorities and community organisations will help ensure young people can access joined-up employment, skills and wider support.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, to provide earlier and more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

This investment will support almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work with a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

This investment will also create around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.

There are an estimated 200,000 young people eligible for the Youth Jobs Grant now, and we expect to support 60,000 young people with this over three years. Through the Jobs Guarantee we expect to support young people through over 90,000 subsidised jobs in the next three years.

Delivery and planning for evaluation of the Youth Guarantee have progressed in tandem with the staged delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Success of the Youth Guarantee will be measured by improvement in employment outcomes, reduction in economic inactivity, and an increase in participation in education and training. We will monitor these outcomes nationally for all Youth Guarantee participants. This will build on already commissioned evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and a planned full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee, the first phase of which is now underway. Evaluation plans for the Youth Jobs Grant and the Youth Hub expansion are also being developed.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, to provide earlier and more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

This investment will support almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work with a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

This investment will also create around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.

There are an estimated 200,000 young people eligible for the Youth Jobs Grant now, and we expect to support 60,000 young people with this over three years. Through the Jobs Guarantee we expect to support young people through over 90,000 subsidised jobs in the next three years.

Delivery and planning for evaluation of the Youth Guarantee have progressed in tandem with the staged delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Success of the Youth Guarantee will be measured by improvement in employment outcomes, reduction in economic inactivity, and an increase in participation in education and training. We will monitor these outcomes nationally for all Youth Guarantee participants. This will build on already commissioned evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and a planned full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee, the first phase of which is now underway. Evaluation plans for the Youth Jobs Grant and the Youth Hub expansion are also being developed.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, to provide earlier and more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

This investment will support almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work with a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

This investment will also create around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.

There are an estimated 200,000 young people eligible for the Youth Jobs Grant now, and we expect to support 60,000 young people with this over three years. Through the Jobs Guarantee we expect to support young people through over 90,000 subsidised jobs in the next three years.

Delivery and planning for evaluation of the Youth Guarantee have progressed in tandem with the staged delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Success of the Youth Guarantee will be measured by improvement in employment outcomes, reduction in economic inactivity, and an increase in participation in education and training. We will monitor these outcomes nationally for all Youth Guarantee participants. This will build on already commissioned evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and a planned full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee, the first phase of which is now underway. Evaluation plans for the Youth Jobs Grant and the Youth Hub expansion are also being developed.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, to provide earlier and more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

This investment will support almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work with a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

This investment will also create around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.

There are an estimated 200,000 young people eligible for the Youth Jobs Grant now, and we expect to support 60,000 young people with this over three years. Through the Jobs Guarantee we expect to support young people through over 90,000 subsidised jobs in the next three years.

Delivery and planning for evaluation of the Youth Guarantee have progressed in tandem with the staged delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Success of the Youth Guarantee will be measured by improvement in employment outcomes, reduction in economic inactivity, and an increase in participation in education and training. We will monitor these outcomes nationally for all Youth Guarantee participants. This will build on already commissioned evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and a planned full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee, the first phase of which is now underway. Evaluation plans for the Youth Jobs Grant and the Youth Hub expansion are also being developed.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, to provide earlier and more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

This investment will support almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work with a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

This investment will also create around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.

There are an estimated 200,000 young people eligible for the Youth Jobs Grant now, and we expect to support 60,000 young people with this over three years. Through the Jobs Guarantee we expect to support young people through over 90,000 subsidised jobs in the next three years.

Delivery and planning for evaluation of the Youth Guarantee have progressed in tandem with the staged delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Success of the Youth Guarantee will be measured by improvement in employment outcomes, reduction in economic inactivity, and an increase in participation in education and training. We will monitor these outcomes nationally for all Youth Guarantee participants. This will build on already commissioned evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and a planned full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee, the first phase of which is now underway. Evaluation plans for the Youth Jobs Grant and the Youth Hub expansion are also being developed.

With over one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion over the next three years into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain, and the introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, to provide earlier and more intensive support to 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit.

This investment will support almost one million young people on Universal Credit and looking for work with a dedicated work support session, followed by four additional weeks of intensive support.

This investment will also create around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.

There are an estimated 200,000 young people eligible for the Youth Jobs Grant now, and we expect to support 60,000 young people with this over three years. Through the Jobs Guarantee we expect to support young people through over 90,000 subsidised jobs in the next three years.

Delivery and planning for evaluation of the Youth Guarantee have progressed in tandem with the staged delivery of the Youth Guarantee. Success of the Youth Guarantee will be measured by improvement in employment outcomes, reduction in economic inactivity, and an increase in participation in education and training. We will monitor these outcomes nationally for all Youth Guarantee participants. This will build on already commissioned evaluation of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers and a planned full process evaluation of the Jobs Guarantee, the first phase of which is now underway. Evaluation plans for the Youth Jobs Grant and the Youth Hub expansion are also being developed.

I am committed to ensuring we continue to work closely with devolved governments, including on youth. I have met counterparts from the Northern Ireland Executive and my officials meet regularly with officials in the devolved governments to share best practice on youth programmes.

We are making strong progress on expanding youth hubs, with around 130 already in operation across Great Britain. In March, I announced the locations that we want to open in this year, and I have just announced a further 180 locations for the following two years. The areas involved, including Harlow, Cardiff, Dartford and east Hertfordshire, will see new youth hubs opening in local sports clubs, libraries and other venues. Wherever MPs get a youth hub, I encourage them to work with their jobcentres and with local organisations to confirm venues and begin delivery of these important services.

What recent progress he has made on the expansion of Youth Hubs.

We are making strong progress on expanding youth hubs, with around 130 already in operation across Great Britain. In March, I announced the locations that we want to open in this year, and I have just announced a further 180 locations for the following two years. The areas involved, including Harlow, Cardiff, Dartford and east Hertfordshire, will see new youth hubs opening in local sports clubs, libraries and other venues. Wherever MPs get a youth hub, I encourage them to work with their jobcentres and with local organisations to confirm venues and begin delivery of these important services.

We are making strong progress on expanding youth hubs, with around 130 already in operation across Great Britain. In March, I announced the locations that we want to open in this year, and I have just announced a further 180 locations for the following two years. The areas involved, including Harlow, Cardiff, Dartford and east Hertfordshire, will see new youth hubs opening in local sports clubs, libraries and other venues. Wherever MPs get a youth hub, I encourage them to work with their jobcentres and with local organisations to confirm venues and begin delivery of these important services.

My hon. Friend is right, and I thank Cardiff football club for being a partner. We are supporting nearly 1 million young people and creating up to half a million opportunities for jobs and training. We are doing that by providing incentives for employers to hire, promoting apprenticeships and delivering a whole range of targeted programmes. Another important point about youth hubs is that they are not just available to people already signing on and on benefits; a significant proportion of young people not in education, employment or training are not claiming benefits, and the youth hubs are open to all of them, too.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that brilliant news, and I hope that they will focus on mathematics skills as well—I could do with some of that. Young people were left behind by the previous Conservative Government, with 13.2% in south-east Wales not in employment, education or training. Youth hubs offer personalised wraparound employment, skills and wellbeing support in targeted areas, so does the Secretary of State agree that the new youth facilities in Cardiff football club and Ely in my constituency, with proper consultation, are a clear demonstration of Labour fixing the mess left by the Conservatives and giving young people the best opportunity in life?

My hon. Friend is a great champion of Harlow and the people of Harlow, and I believe he will make maximum use of the youth hub to advance opportunities for young people in his constituency. We are committed to giving the young people of Harlow the best possible chance in life. I recently visited the Netherlands, which has a youth inactivity rate significantly lower than ours, and youth hubs are an important part of its effort.

As you will be aware, Mr Speaker, my Harlow constituency is full of incredibly talented young people, some of whom I had the pleasure to meet at a recent Harlow college awards ceremony. Alan Milburn’s report makes it clear that young people are being let down by a broken system and deep-seated barriers, rather than by their own ambition, so will the Secretary of State outline how a youth hub in my constituency will make a massive difference to young people in Harlow, ensure that they get the skills that local employers are looking for, and build on the great work done by Harlow college?

My hon. Friend raises an important point. As I said, we recognise that transport can be a real barrier for young people in rural areas, so we have designed youth hubs to be flexible and to work with local partners on tailoring delivery for what works best in each area. That can include offering more flexible opening hours or choosing locations that align with local transport patterns. The whole idea is to meet people where they are in the community and make services as easy as possible for them to use.