Citizen Hub sees 'surge' of people seeking work

A community support hub said it has been seeing a surge in people who had been made redundant or wanted to get back into work due to cost of living pressures and recent budget announcements.

The Citizen Hub in St Neots said there were huge challenges linked to transport, access to guidance services and "a severe lack of investment in youth infrastructure in the last decade" in the Cambridgeshire town.

Co-founder Alex Hughes hoped a local hub could create personalised opportunities for those looking for work, especially young people and carers.

Hub user Mark, 22, said he sought support as his closest Jobcentre was an hour's bike ride away and 90% of his job applications never got responses.

Mr Hughes said it was "hardly motivating" for people to spend half a day traveling from the town to the nearest JobCentre in Huntingdon.

However, he hoped the JobCentre would soon place someone in the Citizen Hub, which, ironically, is in a building that was formerly the town's JobCentre.

He said public transport was improving, but there was a significant barrier with cost and reliability of transport across Huntingdonshire.

A 17-year-old who visited the hub told staff he was not enjoying his college course, and he had to take four different buses a day to get there and back.

He said visiting the hub was his "last attempt" to find an apprenticeship.

Mr Hughes said: "We are a cold spot for further education and with challenging circumstances with the local secondary schools, there is a legacy effect of disengagement from local businesses.

"The other effect around this is on retail and hospitality. If young people aren't learning here [due to lack of a further education college in the town] then they aren't likely to get work here either."

Hub visitor Mark told BBC One's One Show that being out of work was frustrating, but welcomed the news that Cambridge Regional College would begin to host courses at the hub.

"It makes me feel much more positive," he said.

Jordan Till, 27, said trying to find a job as well as being a full-time carer had been a "challenge" and thought the Job Centre she had visited was "impersonal".

"What I found here brings a wonderful personal aspect to a search and with my personal circumstances I need a bit more understanding and flexibility," she said.

New government reforms aimed to transform the Jobcentre system and give every young person access to an apprenticeship, training and education.

A spokesperson from the Department of Work and Pensions said: "For too long, millions of people have been denied their rightful chance of participating in the labour market and the hope of a brighter future.

"That is why we are taking bold action to support people into work through reforming Jobcentres, giving local areas the power they need to tackle economic inactivity, and transforming skills as we spread prosperity and opportunity to every part of the country."

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