Taunton Job Centre Youth Hub

Young jobseekers at Taunton's Youth Hub came every week - and discovered career directions they had never considered, and the confidence to pursue them.
Sep 6

Programme Overview

Taunton Job Centre's Youth Hub supports young adults who are out of work - many of whom left education early, were told they couldn't progress, or have simply had no luck finding employment. Strode College, part of UCS College Group, delivers provision at the Taunton Job Centre, and tutor Sophie Long identified two problems she most wanted to solve for this group: self-confidence and employability skills.

A cohort of eight young people in their early twenties, supported by tutor Sophie Long and one Learning Support Assistant are doing the Level 2 and Level 3 Award in Essential Work Skills from the National Talent Academy, through a blend of weekly two-hour sessions at the Job Centre Youth Hub and self-paced online learning at home, on laptops and on their phones.

They came every week, and the impact was visible from the very first session.

“The programme gives them the confidence to know what they’re looking for in a job and to know what their strengths are. They identified new career pathways they had not previously considered.”
— Sophie Long, Tutor, Strode College, part of UCS College Group

The Checklist Moment

The programme includes a Portable Skills Checklist. As learners worked through it, they realised: “Actually, I can do that.” Within minutes, young people who had arrived believing they had little to offer were identifying real strengths — and mapping them to roles in finance, customer service and management they had never considered within reach. 

Megan

Megan (not her real name) arrived with volunteering experience and real passion, but she would never have considered a leadership role. Working through the checklist, she recognised that things she had already done as a volunteer were exactly what project management pathways ask for. “Actually, I've done this,” she realised — “that is a pathway I can go.” Sophie believes Megan's charisma and articulacy could take her into civil service roles or into work supporting young people.

Abbie

Abbie (not her real name) carries significant care responsibilities at home. For her, the weekly sessions became protected “me time”: two hours that were just for her own learning, with the online platform extending that time into the week. Along the way she rediscovered something she had set aside: “Why did I stop doing care work? I actually really enjoyed it.” Sophie's verdict: Abbie would be brilliant in any healthcare setting. 

Jake

Jake (not his real name) had dropped out of a manufacturing apprenticeship — and had been beating himself up about the lost opportunity. He researched personal finance topics on YouTube and started a small online share portfolio, but he had never considered a career in finance. This programme helped Jake realise that his interest in finance opens exciting new career opportunities. It gave him direction again.

Built for how young people actually learn

It was clear what held the young people’s attention: short videos and quizzes, not long written content. And the programme's opening unit Portable Skills introduced roles that exist in every organisation, such as Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Project Management, Team Leader, Training and IT. This landed with the tutor as much as the learners. 

“Even I hadn't considered those roles — and I teach employability. You're completely right that they're in every industry and every company, and once you've got the skills, you're in. It even got me as a tutor thinking about things I hadn't considered yet — and I always love when a course does that.” 
— Sophie Long, Tutor, Strode College, part of UCS College Group

The results so far

  • 8 learners enrolled; 6 of 8 completed the first unit in a few weeks. 

  • Delivered by one tutor with one learning support colleague. 
  • Learners identified concrete career directions: finance, customer service, management and care pathways.

For Jobcentres and Youth Hubs

  • Blended delivery: weekly in-person sessions plus self-paced online learning.
  • Level 2 and Level 3 pathways. 
  • Short videos, quizzes and scenario-based activities designed to hold attention.
  • Opens with a strengths-based skills checklist that surfaces career directions from session one.
  • Works on PC, laptop and mobile phones.
  • Automatic evidence trail: completion reports and learner certificates.

Ready to see it for yourself?

Book a 30-minute walkthrough: hello@nationaltalent.org