New hub aims to get young people working

An initiative to help young people into work or education has been launched in Luton.

Luton Youth Hub on Gordon Street has received £4.5m in joint funding from Luton Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The project will run workshops on CV writing, interview preparation and digital skills, and aims to support up to 300 people aged 16 to 24 in its first year.

Sophie Inman, an employment specialist team leader at the council, said: "The youth hub is providing the opportunity for young people to feel heard, listened to, a safe space that they can then open up about what their individual challenges are."

The hub also aims to help young people with financial planning, accommodation and mental health issues.

Youth unemployment benefit claims are above the national average of 6.1% in many parts of Luton, according to data from Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion.

The figure reaches 18.4% in parts of the town centre and 12.44% in areas of Farley Hill and Stockwood.

Vauxhall, a major local employer, left Luton in March 2025, although the airport expansion and construction of Power Court stadium were expected to create future opportunities.

Niall Hegarty, a 21-year-old university graduate from Luton, has applied for about 130 jobs in the last three months. He said the hub had made a "very big difference".

He said: "On a base level, the youth hub has provided me with support with interview skills, with my CV, with confidence building, and with recognising my own skills as well.

"Meeting with nice, sincere people who have contact with the employers, they're able to give you tailored advice for what you want to do."

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