Thousands of young people across Great Britain are set to benefit from expanded employment and support services as the government confirms the locations of nearly 180 new Youth Hubs.
This move significantly scales up a wider national programme, with ambitions to establish more than 360 hubs across the country – ensuring that no young person is more than an hour away from support via public transport.
The expansion is designed to strengthen community-based services and make access to vital support more consistent regardless of location. Youth Hubs bring together a range of services under one roof, including careers advice, job opportunities, skills training, housing guidance and mental health support. Delivered in settings such as football clubs, colleges and libraries, the model reflects a shift toward more integrated, place-based provision.
This latest phase of rollout follows a fact-finding visit to the Netherlands by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, where he explored the Dutch ‘youth point’ system – considered a global leader in reducing the proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).
Speaking about the expansion, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said:
“We want to make sure young people are getting real, personalised support, that’s not one size fits all. I’ve seen how it can change lives.
“Our Youth Hubs have over the past two years pioneered this approach - bringing job centre services together with mental health support, housing advice and more.
“I want to turbocharge this rollout so that every young person has this support within reach that can help them move into learning or earning.”
As part of his visit programme, the Secretary of State toured the Tower Hamlets Youth Hub, based at the Feldy Community Centre. Since opening in May 2026, the hub has already demonstrated strong collaborative working between local stakeholders, offering joined-up access to employment, wellbeing and skills support.
Young people using the Tower Hamlets hub shared how personalised guidance is helping them progress toward work or further training, underlining the value of tailored, multi-agency approaches.
The government’s longer-term ambition is to ensure all 16- to 24-year-olds can benefit from localised, high-quality support provision. Over the next three years, every area in Great Britain is expected to be linked into the Youth Hubs network, underpinning the broader Youth Guarantee programme.
The approach aligns with recommendations from former social mobility commissioner Alan Milburn, particularly the emphasis on meeting young people in familiar community settings and offering holistic pathways into employment or education.
Alongside the rollout, the government has committed £2.5 billion to the Youth Guarantee, complemented by reforms to the Growth and Skills Levy aimed at improving opportunities for those entering the workforce.
Additional financial incentives are also being deployed to encourage employers to recruit younger workers. These include:
- A £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers hiring 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for six months
- A £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small businesses taking on workers aged 16–24
The expansion of Youth Hubs is seen as a key lever in tackling the UK’s persistently high NEET rate, while supporting wider economic growth ambitions. By bringing together employment services, skills development and wellbeing support into a unified local offer, the programme aims to remove barriers and create clearer pathways into sustainable careers.
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