The new Government has made a great deal of its new (and only) flagship policy relating to youth work. But what do young people make of what’s on offer? We want you to let us know!
The National Citizen Service is proposed as a 2-month summer programme for 16 year olds. It will combine residential and at-home voluntary work and skills development. In the initial proposal the Government has put forward and which will be tried out in summer 2010 the detailed programme is as follows:
Week 1: Personal Challenge & Teamwork. Young people will go on a full-time residential for a week away from their local area. The activity programme will focus on teamwork and outdoor physical challenges.
Week 2: Skills & Service. This is also a residential week away from home but based within young people’s own community. Focus of this week is developing skills to serve particular local groups (such as elderly people).
Week 3: Social Action. Young people are back at home but spend this week carrying out a social action project close to home.
Weeks 4-8: Ongoing social action. Young people continue to volunteer on their social action project on a part-time basis (around their education, training or work commitments).
The Government proposes that charities, social enterprises and private businesses will be involved in the delivery of the programme. The first programmes will be delivered to 10,000 young people in summer next year. Launching the programme, the Prime Minister, David Cameron said,
“Too many teenagers appear lost and feel their lives lack shape and direction. National Citizen Service will help change that. A kind of non-military national service, it’s going to mix young people from different backgrounds in a way that doesn’t happen right now. It’s going to teach them what it means to be socially responsible. Above all it’s going to inspire a generation of young people to appreciate what they can achieve and how they can be part of the Big Society.”
Although the Youth Association is not able to get involved in the first wave of National Citizen Service we might get involved in the future and really want to know what you think. And, of course, you might get the chance to take part.
Please let us know your thoughts about the proposed National Citizen Service either by voting in our online poll on the homepage of our site, leaving a comment here on our blog, or emailing me directly if you have more to say about the National Citizen Service at jo.coles@youth-association.org. We’ll be making sure your views are passed onto local MPs.
Jo Coles
I think it could work, but i’m not sure if it will work the way they want to do it.
I have friends in france, who HAVE to do their version of national service. It’s similar, but you get to choose where you do it, and what you do, to an extent. My friend chose to work for the ambulance service and he says it was one of the best things he ever did.