Young people celebrated at Chef De La Maison

I want to get Cambridgeshire and Peterborough working, so it’s vital that my Mayoral Authority works hard to connect with businesses across Peterborough, who aim to support young people who are currently not in education, employment or training.

Sadly, a recent rise in the Peterborough region has seen over 1,000 young people claiming universal credit, and I believe that’s a real waste of their potential. The success of our youth is something I’m passionate about, but we also need to remove the barriers they face when it comes to securing permanent employment.

One business that is championing our young people is Chef De La Maison. Nathan Higgins and his team are offering initiatives funded by my Mayoral Authority, including offering 6 or 12-week internships for young jobseekers.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has a well-established relationship with Chef De La Maison, built specifically on our goal of sourcing local talent and providing them with the opportunities to improve their prospects.

As this business grew, they were able to secure dependable staff and offer more internships to those in need. And I had the honour of visiting Chef De La Maison last week, to see first hand how young people are benefitting from this partnership.

From meeting with just some of the young people who are currently involved in the internship scheme, you can see how they are directly impacted by the work being done. And it highlighted to me that local talent is available when they have a genuine pathway into sustainable employment.

Here, participants receive first hand, practical experience, which helps to provide them with the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to go forward in the job market. That comes from physical work, but also through digital schemes, meaning they get a rounded example of what employment looks like.

This is an opportunity that they wouldn’t have had without the internships scheme, and now 8 interns have been through the business so far, which has led into permanent job offers.

If we could get more employers to step up and support young people like this, then more of our youth can get the experience and opportunities they need to live successful lives. This generation is key when it comes to the future of our region, so let’s make sure they aren’t getting left behind.