Giving young people a ‘route to work’

Young people who find that transport problems hinder them from starting a new job can get help – thanks to a new scheme introduced by West Sussex County Council.

Young people aged between 16 and 18 who are not in education, training or employment may be eligible for the ‘Routes to Work’ scheme.

The scheme gives young people travel and journey planning advice about how to get to a potential new job, and, subject to an offer of employment, a four-week bus pass to help them get there.

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It will be run from the county council’s ‘Find it Out’ centres, the information shops for young people located around West Sussex.

The scheme was successfully trialled in Crawley last year and is being introduced across the rest of the county using external funding from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

County council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Pieter Montyn, said: “Using the Routes to Work scheme can ease the financial burden on young people while they wait for that vital first pay packet to arrive.

“It removes the initial cost of transport to a new job and we hope it encourages bus usage among this group of young people at the same time.”

Pieter added: “Improving access to that first job and widening opportunities for employment among young people can support the County Council’s goal of boosting the local economy.”