#YouthVoiceNews 17th September

Welcome to #YouthVoice News and Opportunities – a regular roundup from the world of youthvoice, participation and influence

This week: | Youth Voice Census results| Party Conferences – programme | YouthCouncilUK plans latest | Party conference programme update | Votesat16Watch – Minister latest | ..+ YouthVoice Opportunities | YouthVoice News is produced by Young Voices Heard CIC as a non-profit venture, and edited by a volunteer.

YOUTHVOICE HEARD – NEWS

⚡Youth Voice Annual Census 2025: results

The voices of over 8,000 young people (aged 11-30 / UK, surveyed between Mar-June, + 11 focus
groups with 72 young people) tell us how they feel about where they live, work, and study. (Youth Employment UK has conducted this census every year since 2018. Click Here for full Report.

Key Findings

• For those in education, disruption and missed days take their toll. 55% of students report their education was
  disrupted in the past 12 months. For those in work around half (49%) report their work was disrupted in the past 12 months.
• Access to support has improved, but unevenly – Access to mental health support has risen to 41% (up from 31% in 2024).
  Access to physical health support is now 54% (up from 48%). Improvements are strongest among students, while unemployed young people remain the least likely to feel supported.
• Young people feel more positive about where they are studying than in 2024. Most feel supported when starting school or
  college, and a majority agree they can access good-quality education opportunities where they live. But access to career advice is declining.
• Whilst young people value work experience (74% say it helps them understand work) just 26% of young people
  currently in education, from secondary school to University, undertook work experience in the past year.
• Only 30% of young people volunteered, and a third had no extra-curricular activities at all (sport/clubs/vol/social action)
• 4 in 10 young people don’t feel they have the qualifications to get a job
• The biggest barriers to employability –  lack of work experience (47%), travel/location (45%), and not having the right skills (35%).
• Just 25% believe employers are supportive of hiring young people, down from 31% in 2024. “Self-confidence if falling off a cliff when young people leave secondary education at 18/19 – a stat that is decreasing recent years…”[presenter]
• A third (35%) are excited about AI, while more than half (53%) fear it will take jobs.
• Only half (50%) feel fairly paid, down from 58% in 2024.
• 71% want flexible hours; 59% want autonomy over how they work but only 36% prioritise home-working; most
  prefer a balanced hybrid approach.

National Local priorities: In 2025, the biggest issue for young people shifted from leadership of the country to
whether they feel safe walking home. Crime and violence is now the number one national issue (43%), overtaking leadership (22%) and the economy (38%). Locally, crime (37%) and safety (25%) are also the most common worries.
Locally, the top three concerns young people have are crime and violence (37%), safety (25%) and environmental issues (24%) young people across all age groups were concerned about their safety in their local areas. 1 in 4 Immigration concerns in their local area nearly doubled from 6% to 11%.

Comment: Whilst coming from an ’employment/unemployment’ pespective – its a significant contribution to the evidence landscape of what young people are saying. Taken alongside other polls or surveys, both by specialist orgs, or UK wide representative bodies – it helps articulate youth voices to be heard, their call to action, and requires a response. In the report YEUK respond with a number of recommendations).  YEUK, works in partnership with other national organisations to champion the issues and youthvoice based concerns to Govt (DWP) and through a APPG on Youth Employment. During the presentation of the report their founding CEO Laura-Jane Rawlings said “”We need to stop putting them down and start putting them first!  Ed/JC

⚡”Youth Council UK” – NYA are expected to make an announcement and to communicate on their plans for a new “Youth Council UK”.

A structure around membership, fees, voting, exec board and membership are expected in advance of an inaugural meeting in November.  They have now published the members of the “Youth Council UK Team” who are the architects of this proposal, a process which has been led by former MP and trustee of BYC, Lloyd Russell-Moyle (CEO of Woodcraft Folk) and two working groups assembled by NYA by invitation – an Expert Group and a Youth Expert Group. Organisations can register an “Expression of Interest click HERE).  When Lloyd first spoke to YVN he assured us that there would be an opportunity to discuss and propose amendments to the draft plans by members.

Comment: “It would be great if there was an opportunity to discuss and feedback on these plans, particularly any changes to the new structure, as members (as was the case at BYC) will vote on them at some point. It would be great if there were Q&A webinar with the team to both give feedback and clarify any points going forward. Watch this space! JC/Ed⚡November: 6th November 2026. UK Youth Parliament Annual Sitting, House of Commons – UKYP members only, but broadcast on ParltTV. Topics to be announced, but in previous years, these have been decided by a vote of the young representatives following their annual conference (which took place over the summer). The Youth Parliament is currently a DCMS programme, funded by tender until March 2026.

⚡Party Conferences – young voices to be heard

Young voices will be heard again this year at the Labour (28/9 – 3/10 Liverpool) Conservative 5/10-8/10 Manchester) and Lib Dem (20-23/9 Bournemouth) conferences within the main conference areas and in fringe meetings. Most are hosted by youth organisations, and many coordinated “Youth and Skills Zones”, by Citadel Policy and Communications. Jonathan Hopkins (Dir of Citadel said “We’ve had a bumper year at the Youth Zone, creating a ‘festival site’ combined with our Skills Hub at Labour of four marquee venues and a youth bus in the conference centre, and return to LibDems with a Youth & Skills Day run jointly with the party, and are waving the flag still with events at Conservatives. That’s 100 fringe events in total this year, of which 70 are at Labour. In total, there’ll be c100 young people we’ve supported to attend and directly contribute”.  Listings and topics will be updated in YouthVoiceNews as soon as they are published – but here is a flavour…

⚡Votesat16 Watch – Minister update

Steve Reed MP, the new Sec of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has Democracy and Elections listed as part of his Ministerial responsibilities.  Last week we reported that the replacement for the former junior minister in this team (Rushanara Ali MP) with this responsibility, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP hadnt been given a list of  responsibilities yet. She now has and they DON’T include Democracy – so it looks like Steve Reed will be the new lead on this Votes at 16. I’ve made inquiries to clarify and confirm.

Comment: Officials will still be working on details in preparation for a Spring King’s Speech – and then it will be up to the Leader of the House/Parliament to schedule the first reading. There will be opportunities for amendments (and opposition)  during Committee stages in both the Commons and the Lords. So YES, campaigners need to keep engaged – seek early meetings with the new Minister – to make sure the Government doesn’t get cold feet. They might, however, want to change their focus to ensuring votes at 16 meets all their expectations and recommendations in detail – such as accompanying measures of auto-voter registration, and education in schools – and to lobby MPs to ensure the legislation reflects this, and if not, that they lobby MPs and submit evidence to support amendments to the legislation during the parliamentary session commencing April 2026 onwards.So any campaigns that are funded this financial year ending March 26, will need to seek an extension to their campaign plans and budgets to ensure young people and supporters continue their work. It’s not over til its over.  JC/Ed.

⚡Votes at 16: Are schools prepared for politics in the classroom? – Schools Week Educationis a vital part of votesat 16 . The Association Citizenship Teachers calls for citizenship to be made statutory in primary schools as well as better training for teachers.

⚡Votesat16Watch – new poll reveals most 16-17 year olds (59%) support lowering the voting age, but split on whether they feel informed enough to vote.

Comment: Clearly in line with what campaigners have been calling for – political/democracy education in schools. Once this is announced and confirmed, I suspect we shall see an increase in support, particularly the 24% undecided either way. JC/Ed

Coming Up

⚡Deadline 19th September -King’s Birthday (2026) Honours nominations –  See YouthVoiceNews19thSept for details and support on how to nominate so that we can boost the number of youngleaders/youthvoice champions on the Youth Honours List.

⚡Centre for Youth Voice Relaunch 30th Sept – invite The Centre For Youth Voice will relaunch on 30th September, 4-6 pm. Details and invitation Here. This event will be hosted by Young Ambassadors and the Network of Regional Youth Work Units. The event will launch the new website, profile the training offers and resources that will be available for practitioners and young people, as well as discuss areas for future development. (see YouthVoiceNews 18th Aug for more info.)

⚡UK Youth Parliament debate in House of Commons – Thursday 6th November

⚡Launch/Inaugural Meeting of Youth Council UK  November Date to be Confirmed – but likely to be a Sat to enable young delegates to attend, and may very well be online.

⚡18th Oct: Next Gen Conference (UK youth in democracy) for those aged 16-30/ Min of Sound https://lnkd.in/e5g6SefD

If you have an event open to all, or of significant interest, let us know.

RESOURCES:

Youth Voice Poll /Research: Views of 16 and 17-year-olds/ More In Common Aug 25

Votes at 16 | Voting Intentions |  Mental Health and WellBeing | Legacy of Lockdown | School  | Vaping Smoking Drinking | Screentime, Social Media | Online Safety |AI | Feminism and Gender Equality | Pride and Patriotism | Monarchy | Climate Change | Boats crossing the Channel |…. and how their priorities diverge on the Big Issues compared with the wider public.Read the full report click : Source and Full Research results and tables: Sunday Times 16-17s Sample 1,000 / GB (Eng/Scot/Wales) 15-20th August 2025

• Votes at 16: “Most 16-17 year olds (59%) support lowering the voting age, but split on whether they feel informed enough to vote. 24% undecided or don’t know. Only 15% oppose – in marked contrast to other newspaper polling in July.
• Voting Intention – 33% support Labour, 20% support Reform UK
• Mental Health/Wellbeing – Most young people are worried about exams, money and finding a job
• Health – more likely to Vape than Smoke
• Screentime – 43% spend more than 6 hours a day on their phone
• Online Safety – most think it will be easy to bypass measures, and only 1/3 think it will make them safer online
• Pride – more likely than 18+ to be proud of their British identity
• War – most would not enlist to fight in a war – but a third of boys would
• Climate Change – majority still concerned, higher than any other age group, and support net zero target

A mine of information reveals some significant new trends as 16-17 absorb the news that they will be future voters. The mainstream media is at last turning its attention to the views of 16 and 17-year-olds. This broad-ranging survey is a mine of information on a wide range of subjects – and critically highlights the different views they hold to 18-24 year olds – (something we must all take note of when referring to “young people” as is they were all the same across the age bands). I predict we will see more documentaries focusing on these issues. Are youthvoice orgs ready?

YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES

Our pick #youthvoice opportunities. For a broader range of early career/skillbuilding roles go to our friends’ website Youth Opportunities | Early Career and Skill Building roles in the UK

If you have a #youthvoice opportunity coming up, drop us a line info@youngvoicesheard.org.uk

⚡Young NCB – Black and Global Majority Group: 11-18 young people identifying as Black and Global Majority aged 11-18 (11-24 for disabled young people and those with a special educational needs). “Joining the group will give members a chance to learn new skills, meet new people and have access to amazing opportunities”. There are four in-person meetings a year at our London offices and all members get vouchers for taking part. Members can have their voices heard on issues which are important to them and help shape the work of a national charity. If you’re interested in applying go to https://buff.ly/OA1d9dZ and if you have any questions email participation@ncb.org.uk Applications close Monday 6 October.

⚡The Politics Project: “We are looking for enthusiastic young people aged 14 to 20 to join The Politics Project’s Steering Group, a diverse group of young people from across the UK who support us in effectively engaging young people in politics and democracy. The YSG will help us to ensure we are delivering what young people want and need to achieve that aim. No prior experience or qualifications are needed – just enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved: 📖 Help us shape current programmes and resources.🤙 Develop ways of engaging young people in the work of TPP. 📈 Take responsibility for the meetings and strategic direction of the YSG.⭐️ Act as ambassadors for TPP at events.➡️ Applications are open until 11:59pm on Sunday 28th September 2025. Young people can apply by writing, or by sending in a short video or voice note.🔗 Click here to apply: https://lnkd.in/diCTpM6v

⚡EY Foundation (funder) Youth Advisory Board: 16-25 – England/Scotland? The YAB is a group of 12 young people, aged 16-25 from across England and Scotland who act as advisors to the EY Foundation. All expenses paid. YAB members sit on the board for two years and are responsible for bringing a young person’s perspective into every area of the EY Foundation’s work. As ‘Advocates for Change’, YVF members will be proactive in supporting our organisation to create systemic change for young people from low, addressing youth unemployment issues and social mobility. As part of their role YAB members: Attend quarterly YAB meetings to provide comments and feedback on key plans before they are taken to the Board of Trustees; Work with the EY Foundation team in a variety of ways including attending meetings, sharing feedback and ideas, contributing to social media or speaking at events; Have the opportunity to work on their own projects related to the EY Foundation. Apply to join our Youth Voice Forum 👉 https://lnkd.in/eMG9SqEi Head to our website to find our recruitment handbook, information on eligibility, and how to sign up to our information sessions 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGD6YTWC Deadline 26th Sept YVH quality pick – “one of the most thorough role recruitment/specs I’ve come across/JC/Ed”

UNICEF Youth Advisory Board 14-18? UNICEF UK are seeking applications from 14 to 18-year-olds who can commit to a full two-year term. Full Details HERE. The group works as a team via video calls and in-person meetings. Members engage with UNICEF UK’s efforts by speaking out for children’s rights and sharing their insights and new ideas. They also help spread awareness through their networks, enabling other young people to better understand our work. Applications close 10pm 21 September: a process co-created with our current YAB members.

⚡YoungMinds Youth Panel offers young people the chance to shape the charity’s work by providing insight on strategy, safeguarding, fundraising, and organisational decisions. Panel members help guide the future of YoungMinds while gaining experience in the ‘behind the scenes’ of a charity. Apply by 29th September.

⚡Join the Electoral Commission’s Youth Voice Network for Scotland and help shape the future of democracy. If you’re aged 12 to 18, live in Scotland and are keen to find out more then download our information sheet. You’ll meet (online and in-person) around four times a year to share views, create resources, and contribute to national campaigns on voting. Recruitment is open from June to September 2025. Learn more and apply here.  by end of Sept 25

Trustee positions – Interested in becoming a trustee? Only 3% of trustees are under the age of 30. Find under-30-friendly trustee boards through Young Trustees Movement

For other YVH recommended resources, go to the www.YoungVoiceHeard.org.uk main website / RESOURCES, or click #YouthVoiceNews – Recommending Reads and Resources for a summary of what’s on the website.