Pioneering new Youth Employment Hub to open at Peterborough United

Pioneering new Youth Employment Hub to open at Peterborough United

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. 

Paul Bristow, 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. 

Paul Bristow 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 Lucy Nethsingha, Combined Authority Skills Committee Chair, said: “Every young person deserves the opportunity of sustained employment and the chance to develop. This intervention in Peterborough will strengthen 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.*  

* 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