Monmouthshire is one of seven counties in Wales to have been targeted for the opening of a so-called youth hub by the UK Government.

Youth Hubs, which are designed to access to employment and support services for young people, usually open up at local sports clubs, libraries and other venues that are central in their communities. Typically, they are also no more than one hour away from a young person via public transport, making them accessible in a range of settings.

The hope from rolling out the scheme further across the country is that support will become more personalised and focussed on the individual.

The youth unemployment rate in Wales currently sits around 16 per cent for those aged 16-24, while one in ten of all Welsh people in that age bracket are not in full time education or earning a wage.

“Local, tailored support is invaluable in helping young people take their first step onto the jobs ladder and access training opportunities they need to progress in their careers,” said Shav Taj, Welsh Labour spokesperson for Employment and Equalities.

“These new Youth Hubs will change lives and expand on the UK Labour Government’s existing offer, ensuring more young people across our communities in Wales are able to learn and earn in their local area.”

Youth Hubs are backed by a £2.5 billion investment from the UK Government and bring housing, mental health, skills and careers support under one roof with links to local employers.

Monmouthshire is one of seven new locations to get a youth hub in Wales alongside Flintshire, the Vale of Glamorgan, Powys, Cardiff, Ceredigion and Gwynedd. Thirteen other locations have already been announced for year one of the rollout.

“Even more young people in Wales will get the support they need to get that vital first job through our expansion of UK Government Youth Hubs to seven more areas,” said Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales.

“These new Youth Hubs will provide tailored support, access to training opportunities and connections to employers who have job vacancies so that young people can both learn and earn in their local communities.”

Meanwhile, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said the move is a part of his ambition to get more young people learning or earning.

“We want to make sure young people are getting real, personalised support, that’s not one size fits all. I’ve seen how it can change lives,” said Pat McFadden.

“Our Youth Hubs have over the past two years pioneered this approach - bringing job centre services together with mental health support, housing advice and more.”

“I want to turbocharge this rollout so that every young person has this support within reach that can help them move into learning or earning.”

Wales already has the most generous support package for students of any UK nation and still offers Education Maintenance Allowance to some over 16s.