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A new Employment & Skills Youth Hub has officially opened at MidKent College, providing young people across Medway with easier access to employment opportunities, careers advice, training, skills development and wider support.
The Medway Employment and Skills Youth Hub, developed through a partnership between Chatham Jobcentre and MidKent College, officially opened on 23rd October at the College’s Gillingham campus.
Our LSIP Project Manager, Camilla Maurice, was delighted to attend the launch, joining employers, education and training providers, local authority representatives and other partners committed to improving opportunities for young people across Medway.
Supporting young people into employment and training
The Hub has been created in response to the challenge of youth unemployment and economic inactivity in the area, with a particular focus on supporting young people who are unemployed, economically inactive or not currently in education or training.
The need for targeted support remains significant. Young people aged 16 to 24 currently account for 23.2% of all benefit claimants in Medway, with more than 3,000 young people claiming unemployment-related benefits.
By bringing employers, training providers, support organisations and local authorities together, the Hub aims to make it easier for young people to access the guidance and opportunities they need to build confidence, develop their skills and progress towards sustainable employment.
Its location at MidKent College also provides direct links to the College’s apprenticeship recruitment team, careers team and student finance services, enabling young people to explore a range of pathways including employment, apprenticeships, training and returning to education.
Building a network of support across Kent & Medway
The launch in Medway follows the opening of the Thanet Youth Employment and Skills Hub in May, which was the first of its kind to launch in Kent. Lucy Druesne, Strategic Lead for the Kent & Medway LSIP, attended the official opening in Thanet on 22nd May.
The Medway Employment and Skills Youth Hub therefore becomes the second Employment and Skills Youth Hub to open across Kent & Medway this year, with further hubs planned as the programme continues to roll out across the county. Plans announced earlier this year identified provision across Thanet, Swale, Dover, Gravesham, Medway, Folkestone & Hythe and Ashford.
This growing network has the potential to strengthen local support for young people while creating clearer connections between employment, skills provision and the needs of local employers.
Connecting skills, employers and future talent
For the Kent & Medway Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), initiatives such as these complement our work to strengthen the connection between employers, education and skills provision.
Creating accessible pathways into employment and training is an important part of ensuring that young people can develop the skills and confidence they need, while helping businesses connect with and develop the future talent their sectors require.
The launch of the Medway Hub is another positive example of partners working together to tackle barriers to employment and create more joined-up opportunities for young people across Kent & Medway.
We look forward to seeing the Hub develop and supporting more young people across Medway to take their next step towards education, training and sustainable employment.
Find out more: New Employment & Skills Centre for Young People in Medway
