At the point of conception NCS boldly intended to introduce a nationally recognised “rites of passage” to adulthood.
Adulthood isn’t an age
Young people may be considered adult at several points during the 16 to 25 age range in the UK – when they can have sex, drink alcohol, drive a car, leave home, leave school, secure employment or vote. None of these things bestow adulthood on a person however because adulthood isn’t an age or an activity it is a set of behaviours. It requires self-awareness, self-control and accepting responsibilities.
That is why NCS, at its best, is a personal and social development programme that enables young people to explore and exhibit the characteristics of adulthood.
We invest billions of pounds in the academic education of our children, but NCS was meant to be an investment in the personal and social development of young people at a key moment in their lives.
To succeed NCS had to be seen as adding value. Youth organisations had to understand how they could work to a common goal, schools needed to understand how NCS complemented their work and the public needed to understand the purpose of the programme.
Unfortunately, at the point of introduction youth organisations experienced deep cuts to their funding, which meant that NCS was seen as an expensive alternative to their work. Schools often saw it as a distraction to studies and the public had little or no awareness of the aim.
Commissioning issues and a very public falling out with a key service provider – The Challenge – meant that the NCS brand did not get off to the best of starts.
Mark Gifford became chief executive of NCS in March 2020. By cutting core costs and building more flexibility into the programme he managed to steady the ship. NCS became easier for providers to deliver and more accessible for young people to take part. Mark pushed more funds to the front line and as such re-established NCS as an ally to the youth sector and not a competitor.
Now that Mark has announced he’s standing down in the autumn, and there is a new government, does NCS have a future?
NCS had bold ambitions for every young person in the UK, but considering the difficult financial environment we are in as a nation, the new chief executive should reconsider how the universality of the NCS offer can work. Universality is not the same as open access. Saying anyone can do NCS is not the same as saying everyone can do NCS. Participants should deserve their place.
Character development
Going forward, NCS could be considered the nation’s university for young people’s character development. Any young person could participate but they’d need to be nominated by their school or youth organisation.
Graduating from the NCS programme will only have status if everyone acknowledges it as a tough undertaking which will challenge young people physically, mentally and socially. It should therefore be for the organisations who know the young people best, to identify which young people can stay the course and benefit the most.
Organisations would be granted a limited number of nominations, so they need to fully understand the programme and consider carefully which young people they want to put forward. There could also be an option to buy more places.
By making the programme challenging the participants will be sought after by employers; by making access via nomination, it will ensure that youth organisations and schools are playing a full part in the venture; and by making the programme about character it ensures that young people of every ability and background can take part.
Whether or not Labour stick with NCS the need to support the transition to adulthood remains. If we prioritise character and invest in young people who demonstrate compassion, respect and informed critical thought above other attributes the world will be a better place.
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Paul Oginsky is chief executive of Vibe, and former adviser to David Cameron on the National Citizen Service
