Mayor's View: Backing young people, backing Peterborough

For some, the next step will be university, others will be thinking about apprenticeships, college courses, or straight into a job. There’ll be some who know what they want to do; others will be unsure.

And that’s fine. Because the truth is, there is no single “right path”. What matters is having choice.

When I look at Peterborough, I want every young person to feel they can build a future here, if that’s what they want.

That’s why one of the proudest achievements for our city is ARU Peterborough. Brand-new, built for the city and finally realising a decades-long ambition to deliver a new university.

As MP I helped win funding for it, and as a Combined Authority, we helped deliver it. It’s now seeing its first graduates, many of them local, with the fresh skills that really matter to our local employers. Whether that’s healthcare, engineering, computing or business, ARU Peterborough is creating a direct pipeline between our young people and good local jobs.

But university isn’t for everyone. That’s why we’ve also invested in wider technical and vocational skills, including the new Green Tech Centre at Peterborough College which officially opened this year. This is also preparing young people for the jobs of the future – in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and technology.

Apprenticeships are another fantastic route to a brilliant career. They allow people to earn while they learn, and we’re working with businesses to expand the number on offer in the city.

Unfortunately, we still see too many young people leaving school and ending up not in education, training or work. We need to act, and we are. Our Youth Trailblazer scheme – one of the few in the country – will work to stop young people slipping through the cracks and get them on the right track. Every young person deserves a chance, even if school didn’t work out for them first time round.

So the message is simple: if you want to stay in Peterborough and make a life here, we are building the opportunities for you to succeed.

And the exciting thing for young people is that Peterborough is changing.

You can see it in the upcoming Station Quarter redevelopment – money I worked to secure as MP – which will be transformational for the gateway into the city, and bringing housing, jobs and investment on under-used land.

You can see it in my ambition for a new community stadium and pool that will make Peterborough a destination for leisure, events and entertainment as well as being a top-class home for the Posh.

It’s time to get the town centre humming too. My work to bring in free parking will attract more people and support a better trading environment for fantastic shops and places to eat, drink and have fun. All elements that will support our young people – and everyone else – to enjoy life here

So I say to every young person who is considering their options, if you want to build your future in Peterborough, I’m working with partners to make sure the opportunities for a happier, healthier and wealthier future continue to grow.