Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to (a) level up and (b) ensure appropriate job opportunities are available and accessible to young people in Romford constituency.

Through our Plan for Jobs, DWP has several targeted schemes to support people of all ages and to help them prepare for and progress into work.

The DWP Youth Offer has been extended to 2025 and has expanded eligibility to include 16 and 17-year olds, in addition to 18 to 24-year olds, who are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work through the network of Youth Hubs across England, Scotland and Wales. DWP is also delivering a comprehensive package of support for young people in collaboration with the Department for Education and National Careers Service in England, the Devolved Administrations, and other partners.

In September 2021, we opened a new temporary Jobcentre in Romford which provides dedicated support to Havering residents. The Jobcentre has a dedicated Youth Team which provides access to Jobcentre services, current vacancies, apprenticeships, and a broad range of employment skills provision. This includes basic and digital skills courses and employer led Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). In Romford, currently we have SWAPs in the following sectors: health, retail and warehouse, construction, and environmental engineering, although this list is not exhaustive.

The local Jobcentre team works closely with Havering Works, the London Borough of Havering employment and skills brokerage service, and a range of local community and voluntary organisations to increase access to services, including employment and skills. A range of employer led skills programmes is also available through our partnership activity with New City College.