An innovative new Youth Employment Hub
to give young people the support they need to find work, training
and education, is set to open at the home of Peterborough
United.
, Mayor of Cambridgeshire &
Peterborough, has today announced the investment as part of the new Youth Guarantee Trailblazer.
The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority is one
of only eight areas chosen nationally to lead a new approach
designed to stop young people ending up unemployed or not in
education or training.
Working with Peterborough United
Foundation and based at their Weston Homes Stadium, partners also
include EFL in the Community (the charitable arm of the English
Football League) Jobcentre Plus and the wider community. The Hub
will bring services together under one roof – from careers advice
and skills training to mental health support and job-matching for
people aged 16-24.
said:
"This will give young people who are
at risk of falling between the cracks a real chance to get on in
life. This Hub will be a real one-stop shop – a welcoming place
where young people can get the support they need to move into
work, training or further study. Action is needed now, and I'm
proud to be working with Peterborough United, EFL in the
Community and wider partners. It shows what proper joined-up
thinking and collaboration can
achieve.”
Cllr , Combined Authority Skills
Committee Chair, said: "Every
young person deserves the opportunity of sustained employment and
the chance to develop. This intervention in Peterborough
willstrengthen
what we can do to help young people
build their futures and access meaningful work which meets
aspirations.”
Gill Wignall, CEO, Peterborough United Foundation,
said: “We are grateful for
this funding through the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer, which will
allow us to create a dedicated Youth Employment Hub. This
investment will enable us to provide young people with the
tailored support, training, guidance, and opportunities they need
to thrive and build brighter futures. By empowering the next
generation, we are not only helping individuals into employment
but also strengthening our communities and local
economy.”
Dawn Gore, CEO, Peterborough
United, said: “Peterborough United is delighted to be supporting the
Foundation by hosting the new Youth Employment Hub at The Weston
Homes Stadium. This partnership represents a significant
investment in our community's future, and we are committed to
empowering local young people with the opportunities and
resources they need to help them unlock their potential and
access meaningful employment
pathways."
Debbie Cook, EFL's Director of
Community said: “From
employment, mentoring and education programmes to sport and
wellbeing initiatives, EFL Football Clubs and their charities are
deeply embedded in their communities, empowering individuals to
unlock their potential and thrive. EFL in the Community is proud
to support the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined
Authority to maximise the opportunities for young people through
this innovative new employment hub.”
The Hub is due to open in late Autumn
2025 and will be supporting any young person seeking training or
employment support. The Hub will be underpinned by strong
partnership working and joined
up multi-agency work across
Peterborough.
The percentage of young people known
to be NEET (not in employment, education or training) is at its
highest level since comparable records began in
2016.
In 2025, 3.9% of 16-17-year-olds
living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were identified as
being not in education, employment or training, above the
national average of 3.4%. At upper tier local authority level,
the NEET rate for Peterborough (5.4%) was higher than that for
Cambridgeshire (3.4%). The region's NEET rate has been rising for
the past three years (from 2.9% in 2022 to 3.9% in 2025) and, in
2025, was at its highest rate since 2016.*
Notes to editors:
* Participation in Education, Training
and NEET Age 16 to 17 by Local Authority, Department for
Education: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/participation-in-education-training-and-neet-age-16-to-17-by-local-authority/2024-25
1) The Youth Guarantee is a new
approach to support young people aged 18-21 who are not in
education, employment or training, or at risk of becoming NEET,
by providing access to education, training or employment support.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is one of eight Trailblazer areas
recognised by the Department for Work and Pensions and the
Department for Education. The Youth Guarantee is funded by
Government and led and managed by the Cambridgeshire &
Peterborough Combined Authority.
