Southend-on-Sea, Essex will get a new centre dedicated to helping young people find work and training following an announcement by Southend West and Leigh MP David Burton-Sampson on 25 March 2026. The facility is being launched to provide a single place where local residents can access employment support and professional guidance.
The new Youth Hub will bring together the Jobcentre Plus, local council services, and employers under one roof to support people aged 16 to 24. This facility is designed to offer mental health support and careers advice, while also connecting residents to apprenticeship opportunities and live job openings.
This project is part of a national plan from the Department for Work and Pensions to create 80 new hubs across the country. The initiative is funded by a £2.5 billion government investment aimed at helping the nearly one million young people who are not currently working or in school.
The project is being supported by Daniel Cowan, the leader of the city council, and Bayo Alaba, the MP for Southend East and Rochford. They are working together to bring these services back to the city after previous facilities were closed down.
The opening follows the closure of the Focus Youth Centre on Short Street, which was the last purpose-built, council-run youth centre in the town centre. Local leaders hope the new hub will fill the gap left by that closure and provide a central place for young people to get the help they need.
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