At 18, Michael Duna is employed by Leeds-based Building Futures Together to engage young people in situations like his. The centre supported him after he was expelled at 14, and he is pursuing plumbing and Functional Skills qualifications.
Founded in Pudsey in 2020 by former West Yorkshire Police officer John Thornton, Building Futures Together offers vocational education and career guidance in construction, plumbing and electrical trades for 11- to 19-year-olds. It has helped 200 people and more than 1,000 placements have been offered; a second base has opened in Wortley, Leeds.
ONS figures put the share of 16- to 24-year-olds in Yorkshire and the Humber who were not in education, employment or training at 15.6% in 2025. The article says national factors behind an increase include fewer entry-level jobs and drops in hospitality and graduate vacancies.
