Left, right, left, right!

Mt61

Won’t be illegal migrants doing boot camp, hardly going to fight for this country are they!

If they want to come here to live they will have to accept the laws of the land, surely. Perhaps Rishi thinks this may be a deterrent to asylum seekers.

I would actually be in favour of a non-compulsory option for young people to do a year's paid community service, properly funded with training and support
Everyone should have the opportunity to understand that many in our community live with very real problems.
And what about the dire shortage of carers? This could help.
But I suppose it would be too expensive.

I think this is an appalling fantastic idea. Let's start with all those wannabe MPs who go from school to uni to research assistant to working with focus groups ( or whatever), without a single idea of what happens in the real world! A year working in A&E or primary 7 in an inner city school should sort them out!

I'm actually sick to death of all this youth bashing. Both my children did voluntary work, my 14year old gdd has been volunteering since she was 12 with a national animal charity, she also volunteers at athletics clubs in our local community. She, along with a large group of her friends are doing the DofE award through the school. My 11 year old gdd is in the Scouts and has signed up to start volunteering in the animal charity when she reaches her next birthday.

undines

I think this idea has been put forward in order to make absolutely sure the Tories do not win this election. IMO they want out of the mess. I do not know the details of this scheme, but I'm betting most young people won't want it so maybe they'll get out and vote!

You might be on to something there undines 😁

But they don’t do they?

No they aren’t all meat heads- a lot of nice kids out there!

Some might be tempted by the latest promise of apprenticeships though.

They'll barely have time to go pubbing, clubbing, to gigs, socialising, with all these apprenticeships and civic duties keeping them busy.

Has any Tory Minister done the sums on this idiotic proposal. If all teenagers aged 18 opted for National Service that would be about 30,000 trainers. The Army has been cut by the Tories to about 70,000. If half of those are officers and NCOs it rather suggests the National Service intake would be a ridiculous burden on the regulars. Even if only half opt for being a temporary squaddie it still represents an enormous added task for a cut-down Army.

There are only 30,000 military places. One wonders where the spare training staff will come from and how much good one year will do. It may well encourage some to join up or join the TA. Will they be paid, I wonder?
The alternative being a few weekends per year… James Cleverley said Special Constables or on -call Fire Service … again, how long will the training take?
And what penalty will be levied on those who just don’t rock up?
And who would do the one year military service if the option is a few weekends a year?
It really is a load of old twaddle IMO.

If these 18 year olds decide to opt for the Armed Forces, would they be obliged then to stay for the whole 12 months or could they request their DAOR (Discharge as of Right) ie hand in their notice in the first few weeks, like other recruits?

What then?

Try the Fire Service, then the Police? Don't like those either .....

I wonder if, in the end, they'll farm it out to one of the chosen buddies who pocket the pounds to run some cheap scheme that delivers little, like the ones to run detention centres or assess people for benefits. Another way to divert money to buddies.

There used, occasionally, to be a team of ‘young offenders’ cutting the grass in the churchyard where my grandparents are buried. They arrived in a van driven by a tough looking bloke who supervised them. I don’t know who employed him. Such community activities could be very useful. We can’t expect the arrangement, transport and supervision to be provided free of charge. The benefit should outweigh the cost.

I am glad that many of you have GRANDAUGHTERS taking part in DoE schemes . I get the impression that it is thought only boys will be involved in the new National service which is very biased.

Germanshepherdsmum

There used, occasionally, to be a team of ‘young offenders’ cutting the grass in the churchyard where my grandparents are buried. They arrived in a van driven by a tough looking bloke who supervised them. I don’t know who employed him. Such community activities could be very useful. We can’t expect the arrangement, transport and supervision to be provided free of charge. The benefit should outweigh the cost.

Perhaps it depends. Around here, they could never find supervisors, there were insurance issues, there were endless arguments and people didn’t turn up to do it.🙄

Milest0ne

I am glad that many of you have GRANDAUGHTERS taking part in DoE schemes . I get the impression that it is thought only boys will be involved in the new National service which is very biased.

No, they are talking about both sexes.

Everyone.
Rich, poor, and inbtween.
Girls, boys, and non binary.
Working, not working, at university or not.

Using the term National Service conjurs up the military Nat Service that ended in the 60s. I don't think, at least I hope, it doesn't mean quite the same. There was a system whereby more learning eg what an meant, being reliant on others and vice versa, maintaining personal standards, these are very basics I can recall. Lasted 1 year and if wlilling could sign up for Service. No guns were involved, it was mainly personal development which for some young folk would be good. Scandivavia, Germany have had such a National Service for years and we all know how we look up to Scandinavia!

It isn't just for some young folk, though.
It's for all of them.

DiamondLily

Germanshepherdsmum

There used, occasionally, to be a team of ‘young offenders’ cutting the grass in the churchyard where my grandparents are buried. They arrived in a van driven by a tough looking bloke who supervised them. I don’t know who employed him. Such community activities could be very useful. We can’t expect the arrangement, transport and supervision to be provided free of charge. The benefit should outweigh the cost.

Perhaps it depends. Around here, they could never find supervisors, there were insurance issues, there were endless arguments and people didn’t turn up to do it.🙄

Initially they were supervised by people employed by the Probation Service. A friend who’d been a governor at hmp Frankland supervised for a couple of years after retiring. It takes strong people to manage CS offenders.
It’s a source of real sadness to me that our Probation `service was wrecked by privatisation

As to Rishi’s scheme, I’ve already posted my response. Hugely expensive and demanding of good staff etc. I’m not opposed to the idea of some kind of community service amongst yiung people, it’s effective in many other European countries. I’m irritated by its announcement now, at the start of an election campaign - with no costing etc

I’m not irritated because I think it’ll never happen!
Firstly because we’re going to have a Labour government in a few weeks time.
Secondly because even in the inconceivable event of the Conservatives winning the election, they will never get this off the ground, it’ll be shelved.
It’s called electioneering. It’ll never happen.

'Just read the funding would come from the levelling up fund - talking about billions!'

The idea of 'Levelling up' was always a complete farce. There was no intention of making it work. It can take it's place along with all those hospitals which were to be rebuilt, sorting out social care and making the NHS work properly again. The Labour Party will not be able to sort out our broken system very swiftly, but at least there might be the possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel.

Brilliant idea. Needs a bit more thought put into it as everyone has different skill sets. Should be for those who haven't got a job or further education to go to. Also, anyone getting a job while in their volunteer scheme should be released from it. Perhaps they could have groups working in the community on various projects. This would require people to lead and supervise, therefore creating jobs. It will give those youngsters who don't manage to get a job on leaving school an opportunity to gain some experience and confidence whilst looking for full-time jobs.

Yes, but it is for everyone.
No exceptions.

MissAdventure

Yes, but it is for everyone.
No exceptions.

And that is my problem with it. It won’t affect my GCs now anyway, but 3 of them are at Uni - in order to support this, they have all had to find part time jobs to prop up the finances.

They work weekends - and with studying, lectures etc they wouldn’t have time for all this.🤷‍♀️

I think people like Sunak need to understand that not all parents can afford to make it that their sons and daughters don’t need to work.🙄

Sunak claims the NS will keep teenagers out of trouble. His assumption that they are likely to be in trouble is a slur on the vast majority of young people.