A Youth Hub for 16 to 24 year olds is now open at St James Park on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with jobcentre, housing and mental health help in one place.
Young people in Exeter who are out of work can now get jobcentre help, careers advice and housing and mental health support in one building. A new Youth Hub has opened at St James Park, Exeter City’s ground on Stadium Way.
The Department for Work and Pensions announced the hub on 12 October. It is for people aged 16 to 24.
When and where
- Address: St James Park, Stadium Way, Exeter EX4 6PX
- Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- Who for: young people aged 16 to 24
The release does not give opening times. Your local jobcentre can confirm them.
What the hub offers
Youth Hubs bring Jobcentre Plus, council services, employers and training providers under one roof. The DWP says every hub must meet a set of minimum standards. These include:
- on-site jobcentre support
- mental health support
- housing advice
- skills and training
- careers guidance
- direct links to employers with live jobs and apprenticeships
The release also lists CV advice among the services in Exeter.
Who is running it
The DWP names five local partners for the Exeter hub:
- Exeter City Community Trust, the football club’s charity, which is based at the ground
- Exeter College
- Co-Labs
- Young Devon
- YMCA
The department says they will tailor the support “to reflect the needs of the local economy”. It has not said what each partner will do.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “This new Youth Hub marks a major step forward for young people in Exeter, delivering real support and opportunity right here in the community.”
Why Exeter needs it
The number of young people claiming out-of-work benefits in Exeter has risen faster than any other age group over the past year.
Office for National Statistics claimant count figures show 535 people aged 16 to 24 were claiming in August 2026. A year earlier the figure was 435. That is a rise of 100, or 23%.
Over the same year the count for 25 to 49 year olds fell by 50, from 1,205 to 1,155. The over-50s rose by 40, to 460. So the rise among under-25s accounts for more than the city’s whole increase: Exeter’s total went from 2,055 to 2,150.
Most of the young claimants are aged 18 to 21. That group rose from 265 to 345 over the year. ONS rounds each figure to the nearest five.
We covered the August figures in more detail in our claimant count report.
Part of a national roll-out
The government says it will open a Youth Hub in every local area of Great Britain over the next three years. It puts the number of young people not in education, employment or training at almost one million.
The Exeter release ties the hub to £2.5 billion of government spending on its Youth Guarantee, which aims to make sure every young person is earning or learning. The same release went out for a new hub in Rossendale, Lancashire, on 5 October.
What it means for you
- If you are 16 to 24 and on Universal Credit, your work coach can refer you to the hub. The government’s guidance for young claimants says hubs help with skills, confidence, CVs and interview practice. You keep getting Universal Credit while you take part.
- If you are not claiming, the same guidance says some hubs offer a drop-in service for all young people. The DWP has not said whether Exeter’s does. Ask your local jobcentre.
- If you are on Universal Credit for 13 weeks, the guidance says you will have a “gateway” appointment. At that point you must agree to start work, an apprenticeship, work experience, a training course or suitable education.
- Travel and childcare costs for training or work experience can sometimes be claimed back. Ask your work coach.
- If you are a parent or a teacher, the hub puts jobcentre, careers, housing and mental health help for a 16 to 24 year old in one building.
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