Future Destination Hub offers tailored support for 16 to 24-year-olds

“The Future Destination Hub is a fantastic addition to the support offered to young people who are still searching for direction in their lives and a way into employment or back into education."

A unique new wraparound service to help 16 to 24-year-olds into employment or education has been launched by Warwickshire County Council and the five Districts and Boroughs across the county.

The Future Destination Hub, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is a county-wide model which offers the most bespoke guidance to individuals. The programme offers support to create interventions tailored to each young person’s needs and the challenges of each District and Borough.

Delivered by the Shaw Trust, the Future Destination Hub entails support with a new level of detail specific to the needs, skills and personality of each young person. Each person works with their own journey guide to identify the barriers they face in the search for education or employment and ascertain the best pathway forward and how to overcome those barriers. The one-to-one support remains until the planned destination is achieved.

The £200,000 programme is designed to help the hardest-to-reach young people, integrate them into the community and support them towards building fulfilling lives and careers. Recent pilot schemes have shown that such personalised support and help to identify individuals’ own needs and objectives is highly effective.

Employers and college principals across the county will work with the programme. Colleges will create a series of events to offer young people in the Future Destination Hub the opportunity to engage with college activities and taster days and participate in learning opportunities. Employers will offer industry tours to support the young person develop workplace knowledge and understand the roles within each industry.

Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy, Cllr Martin Watson, said: “The Future Destination Hub is a fantastic addition to the support offered to young people who are still searching for direction in their lives and a way into employment or back into education. With funding from the UKSPF, the programme shows the value of collaboration and underlines the shared commitment of county, District and Borough councils to support these young people.”

Cllr Louise Robinson, Rugby Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Growth, investment, Digital and Communications, said: “There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to supporting young people into the world of work, apprenticeships or further education, and the Future Destination Hub aims to help young people identify the right route for them to achieve their ambitions. In addition to advice on the options available, the hub also focuses on personal development to identify training needs and equip young people with the skills and confidence to start the next chapter in their lives.”

Councillor Ella Billiald, Portfolio Holder for Arts and Economy at Warwick District Council said: "This is an excellent programme which means that some of our most vulnerable young people will be supported into further education and future employment. Both can be very daunting and, therefore, avoided. The Hub will mean that young people are highly supported, breaking these barriers to ease the transition. It will provide nurture, motivation and help young people realise their potential, developing the confidence to enable them to progress on their own unique journeys."

Cllr Nicola King, Portfolio Holder for Business and Regeneration at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said: “It is hugely important that people in the 16-24 age group in our Borough have as much help as possible to help them get into employment or education. The Future Destination Hub will be a fantastic means of support and we look forward to seeing it being a success in Nuneaton and Bedworth.’’  

* For more information about the Future Destination Hub, please email Rabia.begum@shaw-trust.org.uk.