Young people in the Medway area have a new Employment & Skills Youth Hub at MidKent College offering same-day access to employment opportunities, careers advice, training, skills development, and wider support services.
Chatham Jobcentre, in partnership with MidKent College, proudly celebrated the official opening of the Medway Employment and Skills Youth Hub on 23rd October 2026 at MidKent College’s Gillingham campus.
A key focus of the Hub is engaging with young people who may be unemployed, economically inactive or out of education and training, helping them to build confidence, develop skills and progress towards sustainable employment.
The Hub is a key response to youth unemployment and economic inactivity within Medway. The opening comes as young people aged 16-24 now account for 23.2% of all benefit claimants in Medway, with over 3,000 young people currently claiming unemployment-related benefits.
Chris Hare, Executive Director and Deputy CEO of MidKent College said: “The unemployment figures for Medway continue to show the need for targeted employment and skills support for local young people. The Medway Skills & Employment Hub is an important milestone in our commitment to supporting young people to realise their potential and access the opportunities they need to succeed.”
Through a unique partnership model, the Hub brings together employers, training providers, support organisations, and local authorities under one roof, making it easier for young people to access the help they need.
At the launch more than 40 stakeholders, employers, education and training providers, local authority representatives, councillors and Members of Parliament, said they were united by a shared commitment to improving opportunities for young people across Medway.
MidKent College offers a physical location for the Hub, where there will be direct links to the apprenticeship recruitment team, who are working with employers to fulfil apprenticeship roles as well as links to the MidKent College careers team and student finance, so young people can review their options if returning to education is their pathway.
