By Munisha editorial team
Published: 2 June 2026
Young people in Plymouth who are claiming benefits are being offered wider access to practical help with work, training, wellbeing and housing as the city expands its Youth Hub network.
The support is aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds who need a clearer route into employment, education, volunteering or an apprenticeship. Plymouth City Council says the local offer now combines the established Skills Launchpad Plymouth Youth Hub at Cobourg House with new community-based job opportunities delivered by Argyle Community Trust.
Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, the hubs bring Jobcentre Plus and local services together so young people do not have to navigate employment, mental health and housing advice separately.
Who can use Plymouth Youth Hubs
The core Youth Hub referral route is for young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming benefits and are working with Jobcentre Plus in Plymouth.
Young claimants are being encouraged to speak to their Jobcentre Plus Work Coach at their next appointment if they want support. A Work Coach can refer them into the right hub, depending on where they live and what kind of help they need.
The city centre service at Skills Launchpad Plymouth is based at Cobourg House on Mayflower Street and operates five days a week. Argyle Community Trust is extending the offer into neighbourhood settings, including Foulston Park, Manadon Hub and Home Park, with specific support across PL1, PL2 and PL5.
Support through Skills Launchpad Plymouth is broader than the benefits claimant route. Local people of different ages can also use its free information and resources on jobs, apprenticeships, education, business start-up routes and specialist help.
Practical support available under one roof
The hubs are designed to deal with the barriers that often sit behind a young person’s search for work or training. That can include confidence, housing instability, health worries, uncertainty about career options or limited experience of applications and interviews.
Support can include:
- CV writing and application help
- Careers guidance and goal setting
- Interview preparation
- Skills training and apprenticeship information
- Volunteering and employment opportunities
- Mental health and wellbeing support
- Housing advice and referrals to trusted local services
Plymouth City Council said local partners including Devon Mind and CH Youth Hub are part of the wider support landscape. The aim is to make the offer feel practical rather than formal, with one-to-one guidance, group sessions and events that connect young people with employers and training providers.
One example given by the council is Lily, who first came to the Youth Hub with low confidence in social settings. Through regular support, she built confidence, strengthened her applications and secured an apprenticeship with Plumbstop.
Why the investment is being expanded now
The Plymouth expansion sits within a national Department for Work and Pensions commitment to establish Youth Hub provision across Great Britain.
Nationally, nearly one million young people are currently not in education or employment, according to the council’s source material. That figure has risen by 248,000 since 2021, adding pressure on local services to intervene earlier and provide more joined-up help.
Eighty new Youth Hub locations have now been confirmed nationally, with plans to reach more than 360 areas. Plymouth’s local model builds on five years of Skills Launchpad Plymouth delivery and responds to rising youth claimant numbers in the city.
For readers following youth employment patterns elsewhere in the UK, Munisha has also reported on low NEET rates in Shropshire, where early tracking is being used to keep teenagers connected to education or work.
Where Plymouth’s Youth Hub help is based
The Cobourg House hub is the main city centre point for Skills Launchpad Plymouth. It focuses on personalised support, careers exploration, employer links and progression into training, apprenticeships, volunteering or jobs.
Argyle Community Trust’s Youth Hubs add neighbourhood access at Foulston Park, Manadon Hub and Home Park. The Trust says its model combines employability guidance with personal development and wellbeing activities, so young people can build skills closer to home.
Lynne McBain, DWP Plymouth and Tamar Partnership Manager, said Youth Hubs help young people take confident steps towards work, education and training while also giving access to support around mental health and housing.
Councillor Tess Blight, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships, said the city is building on the established Youth Hub at Skills Launchpad Plymouth while strengthening community-based help through Argyle Community Trust.
Caitlin Jones, Skills Manager for Argyle Community Trust, said the neighbourhood model allows support teams to meet young people where they are and help them progress towards education, training or employment.
How young people can access the support
Young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming benefits should ask their Jobcentre Plus Work Coach about a Youth Hub referral at their next appointment.
Those referred may be directed to Skills Launchpad Plymouth at Cobourg House or to an Argyle Community Trust Youth Hub, depending on their postcode, needs and the most suitable support route.
The next practical step is simple: ask the Work Coach for a Youth Hub referral and explain whether the main barrier is finding work, choosing training, building confidence, housing pressure, wellbeing, or a mix of several issues.
Source: Plymouth City Council
Source check Source trail
This article is based on Plymouth City Council’s 2 June 2026 notice and keeps the eligibility, locations and referral route tied to that source.
- Confirmed the target group as 16 to 24-year-olds claiming benefits in Plymouth.
- Checked the named local providers: Skills Launchpad Plymouth and Argyle Community Trust.
- Matched the listed hub locations with Cobourg House, Foulston Park, Manadon Hub and Home P...
- Separated the Jobcentre Plus referral route from wider Skills Launchpad Plymouth resources...
- Source
- Plymouth City Council
- Scope
- Plymouth
- Updated
- 2026-06-08 18:04
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