One-stop shop to help young people into job market

A“one-stop shop” aiming to help young people in Fife secure training or employment has opened in Dunfermline.

The Department for Work and Pensions Youth Hub, at Fife College’s campus in the town, will support people aged 16 to 24. In particular it will look to help those who have struggled to find a positive destination after leaving school, college or university.

Run by staff from the college, Skills Development Scotland and Jobcentre, it will also offer employability skills to people who have lost a job or an apprenticeship due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project – part of a UK Government scheme – aims to bring together a range of support in a central location.

Dawn Clark, manager of admissions, employability and customer services at Fife College and chairman of the Youth Employability Delivery Group for Fife, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with our partners on the new DWP Youth Hub at our Dunfermline campus.

“The hub is a fantastic opportunity for us to work closer with them and support their services.

“Being located within the campus, the hub is also a great new way to bring education and employability together, ensuring young people in Fife can easily access the tailored support they need to progress their career journey.”

Douglas Chapman, Dunfermline and West Fife MP, said: “For a lot of young people trying to get a job has never been harder than it is now, as the effects of the pandemic have led to lots of firms downsizing and shedding jobs.

“At the same time, many companies’ demands for new skills are increasing as they try to keep pace with the demands of the 21st Century economy and a different kind of jobs market after Brexit and post-Covid.

“If you’re a young person looking to get a job, that’s a lot to contend with.

“That’s why this new West Fife Youth Hub is so important. It provides a one-stop shop for people in education or on benefits, who are looking to progress their career or just get their foot on the jobs or training ladder.

“This hub is just what we need, just when we need it, and I’ll be keeping a keen interest in the difference it makes in our community.”

“This hub is just what we need, just when we need it.

Douglas Chapman MP has given the DWP Youth Hub an enthusiastic welcome. He was joined at the launch by (from left) Margarita Morrison of DWP, Dorothee Leslie of Fife College, Claire Lister of DWP and Dawn Clark of Fife College.