How can my business access Brighton's new Youth Employment Hub?

There are currently around 3,000 16–24 year-olds job hunting in our city. Scarily, those are just the ones known to us through the Universal Credit (UC) system - it doesn’t take into account those who are not eligible, or have chosen not to sign up, for UC. And, it doesn’t take into account young people now leaving college or university, who are returning home and adding to those rather shocking statistics.

So, it was a real relief to hear that help is on hand for them through the new Youth Employment Hub that opened its doors on 1 June in Kemp Town. Its primary purpose is to provide a physical - or virtual - space for under-25s to get support; and is a joint venture between the council and the DWP in response to the impact of the pandemic on young people.

As a Gateway Organisation for the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, I was really keen to find out more about how we – businesses and employers in the city – can work with the Hub around employment opportunities. And the news is good.

• Employers can talk to the Youth Hub Work Coaches - people who are the key contact for young people - about vacancies they need help with.
• Young people can then find info about those vacancies, either online (going live in July) or on physical jobs boards at the hub.
• Young people can get help putting together a summary of why they’d like to be considered for that vacancy. That could be a written CV - or could we help by recognising they’ve got very little experience of these? Maybe we could accept video or voice summaries of who they are and what they can do rather than highlighting on paper what they can’t do?
• Employers and young people can meet up at the hub for an informal discussion (again, let’s not put them off by calling them interviews) about who we are, what we do and what help we need in our businesses. In turn we can find out more about what young people have to offer.

I’ve just taken on a Kickstarter. I spent a day meeting with 7 young people, most of whom brought CV’s with them which I hadn’t seen in advance. I can honestly say I’d only have interviewed 2 of them based on what was written down, but I’d spent some time talking to Work Coaches about what I needed and what was important to me.

And, they had talked to young people they thought would be right for me. By the end of the day my greatest challenge was narrowing down who I would invite back for a second conversation. It’s amazing what you can find out during a 30-minute chat about skills and interests, that young people simply don’t realise are relevant.

One amazed me with stories of how she’d spent lockdown helping her partner build their social media following for their music, 1 million TikTok hits, 100,000 Instagram followers – none of it on her CV. Another had built his own computer from scratch, again with not a mention of his interest in tech on his CV. And these were the ones I didn’t take on!

We know that skills shortages are a problem in our city. So, what happens if we can identify the right young people who are capable, but lacking training and experience, to work with us? They come off UC, our businesses grow, we all spend our hard-earned cash in our city’s wonderful shops, bars and restaurants and our local economy grows. What’s not to like!

For more information about the Youth Employment hub please contact Elle Dyson, elle.dyson@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Or head over to their website: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/youth-employment-hub

And if you’d like to get involved in the Kickstart scheme please contact sandra.murphy@businessdoctors.co.uk. 

Business Doctors get actively involved in helping local businesses get to the next level - with experience, knowledge and understanding to make a different - their expertise enables SMEs to think bigger, act bigger and grow bigger. Find out more here.

Find out more about the government's Kickstart scheme, and local gateway organisations, including Business Doctors UK here. 

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk