A team of business and community leaders from across the UK were brought together in Rhyl earlier this month by The Prince’s Trust to discuss the challenges facing young people in the area and the opportunities that will arise from the regeneration of the region.
[aoa id=”1″]Representatives of Whitbread, Young Women’s Trust, NHS Employers, Standard Life, Federation of Small Businesses, The Prince’s Trust and Denbighshire County Council toured the town to hear first-hand accounts from young people and employers in North Wales about current employment experiences in rural and coastal towns like Rhyl. The group also learned about some of the regeneration schemes underway in Rhyl that will boost employment opportunities for local young people (see notes to editors for details of some of these schemes).[/aoa]
The visit was organised as part of The Prince’s Trust’s UK2030 taskforce, which was established last month todevelop constructive and actionable recommendations for businesses, the third sector, government and young people to ensure that young people have a stake in society and the economy. The meeting in Rhyl will inform thinking and ultimately the recommendations that the visiting group will put forward to the overarching taskforce.
Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, leader of Denbighshire County Council, said:
“The Council was pleased to welcome The Prince’s Trust to Rhyl to showcase the public and private investment which is making a real difference in the town and for the people of Denbighshire.
“We are backing the Trust’s mission to support young people and as a Council we are working hard to develop greater employment opportunities for younger people as a corporate priority.
“Initiatives like UK2030 Taskforce and the work the Council is undertaking are vitally important in securing a brighter economic future and we are really looking forward to collaborating locally with The Prince’s Trust moving forward.”
The event was chaired by Chief Executive Officer of Whitbread PLC, Alison Brittain, who said: “The future economic success of the UK lies in the hands of our young people. They have so much to offer and we have so much to gain by harnessing their energy, passion and ideas.
“We need to do more to create the conditions and the opportunities for young people to flourish, giving them a real stake in our economy and society. That means investing in and supporting them as they progress from education through to employment and wider life experiences. I am very pleased to be a part of the new UK2030 Taskforce to understand how we can support young people to be successful and, in doing so, help create meaningful and lasting change that will impact on the lives of this generation and the next.”
The UK2030 taskforce will continue its research and visits to locations across the nation over the course of the next year, before making a series of constructive and actionable recommendations for businesses, the third sector, government and young people that will enable the next generation to flourish and to gain a greater stake in society as a result.
