Tom Gordon MP welcomes new Youth Hub as number of young people out of work rises
Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has backed the new Harrogate Youth Hub ahead of its opening on the 11th of November and called for it to be the start of a serious local push to tackle the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The Hub, which will be based within the Bilton Health and Wellbeing Hub at 69 Bilton Lane, HG1 3Dt, will bring together work coaches from the Department of Work and Pensions and partner organisations to deliver tailored services to support young people into work.
The provision will allow young people up to sixth months of support to address skills gaps, tackle barriers and help them move closer to long-term, sustainable employment.
It opens against a worrying backdrop. Nationally, 981,000 young people aged 16–24 are NEET, 13% of the age group. Earlier this year the figure topped one million for the first time since 2013. Locally, 1,315 young people in Harrogate and Knaresborough are looking for work, up 115 on a year ago.
The Hub builds on Tom's work to expand skills and training opportunities locally. After his election, the £20 million Department for Education funding for rebuilding Harrogate College lapsed following planning delays. Tom raised the issue in Parliament and met the Minister for Skills, securing confirmation that the funding would go ahead. Work on the new campus is now underway.
Tom said:
"Nearly a million young people across the country are stuck outside work, education and training, and Harrogate and Knaresborough isn't immune. Every one of those numbers is a young person whose potential is being wasted, and the longer someone is out, the harder it is to get back in.
"That's why this Hub matters. Too often, support is scattered across different offices and phone lines. This puts it all under one roof, right in the heart of Bilton, and it's great to see Harrogate Town stepping up alongside the Jobcentre. Alongside the Harrogate College rebuild I secured, it means young people here will have better routes into skills and work than they've had in years.
"But a Hub on its own won't fix this. We need local employers offering placements and apprenticeships, and a thriving high street that creates the entry-level jobs young people rely on. I'll keep pushing the Government to back both. In the meantime, I'd urge anyone who works with young people to spread the word."