Youth work programmes ‘boost political participation’ in young people

A joint report by the Behavioural Insights Team, the NCS Trust and University College London’s School of Public Policy have published a new report following a four-year research project into the impact of service learning on young people’s political participation.

It finds that “service learning, through programmes like the NCS, is a solution to a lack of political engagement in young people”.

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“In the UK and across the globe, political participation - voting, contacting politicians, petitioning and protesting - is lower in young people than any other age group. This has a negative impact both on democracy and young people themselves,” it states.

The results found that taking part in the NCS programme increased political participation by 12 per cent. The figure takes into account a combined measure of political engagement that includes petition signing, petition organising, directly contacting politicians, protest and voting, the report states.

The impact on petition signing and protest - at 13 per cent and 63 per cent respectively - were higher than the other categories.

The research also found confidence building to be a key impact of the NCS programme that had a direct impact on increased political engagement. 

“Of the young people who experienced a boost in political engagement, an improvement in their social confidence seemed to be critical to their newfound activism,” according to researchers.

The report adds that “if volunteering programmes like NCS were scaled up to all 16-25 year olds in England - and these effects were replicated - they would quickly become the second-highest participating age group in non-electoral politics in the country”.

Victoria Harkness, head of research at NCS Trust, said: "Ensuring young people are equipped to engage in the democratic process arguably matters now more than ever.”

Patrick Taylor, head of education and youth evaluations at the Behavioural Insights Team, added: "Young people participate in formal political activities less than any other age group. That really matters. It matters to them because their interests are considered less by politicians and it matters to society because they've got so much to offer. We desperately need a new generation of political leaders with new ideas and new ways of working. This research shows that service learning, if done well, can get more young people to engage in politics, and might help us to develop that new generation of leaders."