One of our boldest policies is to reinvent National Service for this century to give young people valuable life skills and build a stronger national culture. Out on the doors, I have heard some concerns that this may be too strict, and equivalent to conscription. This is not the case. National Service will be compulsory, so it becomes a rite of passage for every 18-year-old, but young people will be given a choice, between:
❱ civic service. The equivalent of one weekend a month (25 days a year) volunteering in the community, alongside work or study, for a year. I have had the experience as a young person to do work experience placements in Plymouth Archive, a local law firm and in Westminster. I’ve seen firsthand the difference that these can make in working life. Civic service roles could include special constable, NHS responder or RNLI volunteer. These are life-changing experiences that would significantly bolster any CV.
❱ military service. A year-long full-time placement in the armed forces or cyber defence. This placement will be competitive and paid, so our armed forces recruit and train the brightest and the best. We will establish a Royal Commission, the first in a quarter of a century, to design our modernised National Service. It will be backed by funding rising to £2.5 billion in the final year of the Parliament and a new National Service Act.
The most important aspect of this is that we will establish a Royal Commission, the first in a quarter of a century, to design our modernised National Service. There will be many opportunities to feedback with the Commission. It will be backed by funding rising to £2.5 billion in the final year of the Parliament and a new National Service Act.
