To be baffled at Rishis National Service Plan

[frankentall]

I have never voted Tory and don't intend to start at this election. Maybe it is due to my late father who did National Service who was vehmently opposed to it, but even allowing for the idea - surely it simply isn't practical. How has he cooked up such a batshit idea?

@NotAgainWilson yes NCS is still going. Unfortunately it's barely promoted.
I do think it looks more suited to a younger age group which is why I think it should start from age 12.
Waiting until after GCSEs is too late for many teens.

There are many people who don't do those things. Not just teens.

I agree, which is why in one of my earlier posts I said this scheme should be expanded further.

I manage a team of volunteers and it's hard enough sometimes with adults who actually want to be there.

I can only imagine the shit show if it's a bunch of teens being forced to be there.

Most of the places I know that use volunteers are 18+ only because having children volunteering means extra paperwork, training plus dealing with moaning parents.

There's no way there would be enough placements for every child to do something that's actually helpful.

I meant to say, more places than not don't cover expenses nowadays too.

@WinterMorn do they really? Cover costs?
Would a charity pay for a taxi to get a teen to them on a Sunday because there's no bus service?

The volunteering is a bad idea. Some 18 year olds have full time jobs, why should they volunteer at the weekend - why them rather than a 30 year old for example. Some 18 year olds are at university and need to work at weekends to survive - I couldn't have managed at university without my part time job and that job wouldn't have been possible if I had to volunteer a weekend a month. Unsurprisingly I think Sainsbury’s would have wanted a more consistent cashier. Some 18 year olds are parents - are they to pay for childcare to do this compulsory volunteering?

Tories have confirmed today there will be no exemptions if you work full time even if you're the main breadwinner, and no exemptions if the 18 year old is a carer.
(I say they've confirmed today, obviously this confirmation is irrelevant because this policy won't happen).

I can’t see where I have said children should volunteer?

DC2 volunteers in a Shelter shop as they take kids 14+. A lot of charity shops only take 16+.

It’s trumpian
like building a wall on the border with Mexico, sending asylum seekers to Rwanda…. Not a sensible solution to anything, but very media friendly if you just want news about you - any news.

DD1 has had a PT job at the weekend since she turned 16, now 18 and about to go off to university. It's hard enough for young people to find and retain a weekend job without having to miss a day's work "volunteering" one weekend out of four.

If you want young people to do this, make it paid work experience. Why should they give their time freely at a time when they or their parents can least afford it and they need to be in education or gaining skills and work experience?

Make those who have vast inherited wealth do community work instead.

@WinterMorn if teens haven't had any direction or structure in their lives by 18 - then what on earth have their schools being doing.
Getting that should start from age 4 when they start school.

Yes, some cover costs. I can’t answer a hypothetical question, but I imagine that the expense and practicality of setting this up and running it will be discussed and worked out.

It’s not volunteering if you’re forced to do it.

So he's not volunteering, you're volunteering him. Fair enough, that's your shout.
The government proposal however, despite using the same word, is not about volunteering at all - the only options are upaid work.

Several problems with it! Firstly, many teenagers already volunteer. The detail behind this plan is horrible. You MUST do it at 18, and university / working / being abroad is no excuse. How the hell does that work then?
These kids that "desperately need it" etc etc. Who is looking after these young adults while they "volunteer" - are they suddenly going to see the error of their ways and start behaving? Or is it the duty of some poor charity / hospital to deal with them?
Other countries that make people do it - I keep seeing Denmark cited. Are we going to get the education system and services that they have? I suspect not.

The stupid thing is, a well thought out plan could be such a positive thing. Encourage rather than compel, perhaps have some sort of incentive too (some sort of discount on tuition fees?) rather than this just clearly being designed to appeal to Reform voters.

I agree, but given the frequent discussions on here about the expectation and pressure on teachers, that’s not always happening!

If they want to get more teenagers into volunteering, they should develop a scheme for that purpose (or revive the old one) instead of mandatory unpaid labour.

I had a full time job at 18 and spent the weekends doing driving lessons. I had no free time for volunteering.

@WinterMorn yes this is the thing - the proposal is for 18 year olds not "children".
However at 18 most people are either -

• at university/college while working part time.
• working full time
• on an apprenticeship scheme
• raising a child
• unemployed (looking for work)
• not working due to disability or illness
• not working and not looking for work.

It's only really the last one that could probably do with support and encourage to get out there and do something. But it's heartbreaking if they've made it to 18 and haven't had that support already.

@Needmorelego again, I agree, but I think that’s worthy of a thread of it’s own.

I think I just assumed it was younger teens because people were mentioning school.

It would kind of make sense if it was built into school somehow.

It's bizarre that they're planning to make 18 year olds do it. Most 18 year olds I know are studying full time or working.

Why should they be forced to volunteer and not someone 20/30/40 etc.

Really, really odd.

@CovertPiggery it should be expanded out.

They definitely would have won more votes if they'd said they'd make job seekers volunteer.

Not my vote FWIW, but I can see more getting behind that.

Yep. Not even the Tories actually think that what young adults need in a cost of living crisis is a requirement to do volunteering.

With no care about the fact that forced volunteering would be a nightmare for volunteer managers, volunteers and companies, charities etc?

I would not take mandatory volunteers in my organisation. I want people who actually care about our beneficiaries and want to help.

I know an awful lot of people in my role that feel the same. You'd struggle to get anywhere near enough placements.

Or would you make mandatory for organisations to take the volunteers too?