Mayor's View: Opening doors for our young people
Young people already understand that the right skills are vital if they want a good job, writes Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow.
And how many times do we hear employers crying out for new blood, with the skills and training to succeed?
We need to help our young people starting out in the world by giving them the right pathways to great jobs. And I want to stop our young people from feeling like moving away is their only chance to get ahead. Because there is opportunity in the city, if only we can open those doors.
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of launching and visiting a variety of such opportunities on offer right across Peterborough. One thing is clear - times are changing. Technology, our economy and what employers want keeps shifting. But that also means a new era of opportunity for young people to upskill and find a great career.
In my manifesto, I promised to match skills with jobs. But many of our young people are at risk of falling through the cracks – not in education, employment or training.
The opening of the Youth Employment Hub at Peterborough United Stadium this month is a great example of the progress we’re making to help change all that. Based in the city centre, the Youth Hub promises to be a friendly and judgement-free space – providing people with the support needed to secure work, training or further education. That might include physical and mental health support, or housing assistance. It’s a true one stop shop and I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs.
The same day I visited the city’s Military Preparation Academy, which specialises in supporting young people aged 16-19, aspiring to have careers in the Armed Forces or going on to further education or training. Defence is a critical sector for our region, which hosts four strategic Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites – RAF Wittering in Peterborough, RAF Wyton, RAF Molesworth and RAF Alconbury. Employing approximately 13,300 people across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, there is enormous potential for growth and employment within this sector.
Through a blend of physical training and vocational qualifications, the Military Preparation College is helping students to gain the skills, resilience and confidence needed to excel in their chosen careers.
Combined Authority investment is also making a big difference.
ARU Peterborough will this month see its second batch of graduates, and it will be my pleasure to join the celebrations.
This Combined Authority project, in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University and the City Council, is symbolic of Peterborough’s regeneration. There are already young local people who have taken the step into higher education because of ARU Peterborough. Not only that, the curriculum has been designed with local employers, ensuring the courses and skills being provided link to good jobs.
Earlier this year I helped open Peterborough College’s Centre for Green Technology, which the Combined Authority helped fund with £2.5 million. Offering skills in electrical engineering, electric vehicle technology and modern construction. The college is aiming to help our young people get ahead in high-growth new industries, setting them up with in-demand skills that will lead to good jobs.
Getting young people into good jobs only comes with investment in opportunity. Peterborough is already a very different place for education and training. I’m determined to give young people the tools they need to succeed, and, if they want to, to do so right here in Peterborough.