The service will offer volunteering opportunities to around 10,000 school-leavers and will be piloted between June and September.
In announcing the pilots, Prime Minister David Cameron described the initiative as "a kind of non-military national service".
He said: "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."
The move is part of the Conservative Party’s big society agenda, which has been adopted by the coalition government, to promote the role of the voluntary sector in society.
Activities for those who sign up to the National Citizen Service will include structured training and work on a community social action plan that will be specific to each area.
They will spend at least 10 days and nights away from home and those who complete the project will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony.
Outstanding candidates could be offered the chance to take part in volunteer projects in developing countries.
A detailed specification for the pilots and a tender for providers will launch next month. It is expected that successful providers will be named by October.
No funding information has been made available, with the Cabinet Office adding, "as with all government programmes", the scale of the pilots will be decided in this autumn’s comprehensive spending review.
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