Ed Balls has praised Barnados for its new construction school designed to halt the rising number of NEETS (those Not in Education, Employment or Training).
The Hub Construction Skills centre in East London opened on July 16 to give local teenagers the chance to try out different trades before signing up to an apprenticeship or college course.

Developed by national children's charity Barnardo's and London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the Hub offers short courses in plumbing, carpentry, decorating and electrical installation.

Barnardo's chief executive Martin Narey said 'The Hub is already working with 30 children and young people and will soon support 40 more who might otherwise be excluded from school. These young people who might fail academically are succeeding in gaining real qualifications which are opening up the world of work to them.'

Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said 'I talk a lot about the co-location of schools with children's centres, GPs surgeries and the other services that families use - the Hub is another fantastic example of passionate and visionary people like those from Barnardo's coming up with great solutions that work for young people.

'Barnardo's now has 16 such centres - all helping to engage young people who have dropped out, or are at risk of dropping out of education or training get the qualifications they need to succeed. I hope you'll be offering diplomas here too in the future'

One of the students demonstrating their work at the event was trainee Joshua Rowes, 17. Joshua said 'I always wanted to do a trade, so when I heard about the course, I was very enthusiastic about coming to The Hub. It seemed like a great opportunity. I'm currently learning the ins and outs of plumbing and loving it. This place is just what I was looking for.'

The Hub acts both as a springboard into work-based-learning for 16-18 year olds and an alternative education provider for 14-16 year-olds who are not achieving their full potential in mainstream schooling. Students can choose from a range of City and Guilds-accredited qualifications as well as the Construction skills Certificate Scheme. In addition to hands-on courses, students also learn a range of numeracy, communications and language skills.