NCS to take on careers role
Joe Lepper
Thursday, March 2, 2017
The government's National Citizen Service (NCS) initiative has been handed a role to improve young people's employability, as part of the government's digital strategy, it has been announced.
The initiative, which is aimed at 16- and 17-year-olds, will work with education charity the Raspberry Pi Foundation to pilot the introduction of digital skills and careers programmes.
Coding and digital entrepreneurship are set to be among the training on offer to young people, according to the strategy. The NCS is also set to liaise with creative technology businesses to see how it can "inspire participants to consider a career in the sector".
The strategy states that the NCS "is uniquely placed to help young people to engage with the digital economy" and reiterates the government's intention for the initiative to become "a rite of passage for all young people".
The NCS's involvement in digital training follows the launch in January of the government's Industrial Strategy green paper, which laid out plans for reform of technical education to improve young people's digital skills.
It also comes amid a push by ministers to boost digital learning in schools. This has included the introduction of coding teaching for both primary and secondary pupils in 2014.
In addition, there are now 5,000 "code clubs" in schools and all year 7 children have been provided with a codeable computer called a micro:bit through the BBC's Make it Digital programme.
Culture secretary Karen Bradley said: "Coding is being put in the National Curriculum - and we are taking forward the recommendations of the Shadbolt Review into computer science degrees - so that younger and future generations will have the specialist skills they need to take full advantage of digital.
"As part of the effort to encourage young people from a wider range of backgrounds to consider a tech career, we will support the National Citizen Service in piloting new ways to include digital skills and careers in NCS programmes.
"We will also run a national after-school programme for the most talented students, cyber apprenticeships, and adult retraining - so that the UK has the pipeline of cyber security skills that it needs."
NCS Trust chief executive Michael Lynas said: "NCS exists to help young people transition to adulthood, developing important skills for life and work. We believe digital literacy is a vital component in this mix of skills.
"We are proud to have been included in the new UK Digital Strategy and to be working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to play our part in helping all young people to access opportunities provided by the digital age.
"We are working with Raspberry Pi to develop NCS programme content that will engage young people in the digital world whilst allowing them to use digital skills to support their social action projects."
