Research and analysis

Youth engagement impact study: youth summary

Published 12 July 2023

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) asked Ecorys and Participation People to research the UK Youth Parliament and Youth Policy Development Group (YPDG). Both programmes help give young people a voice on the issues that matter to them. We wanted to understand young people’s experiences of the programmes, and how the programmes benefit young people and policy making.

The researchers gathered lots of information, including:

• policy documents
• a survey and speaking with current and past Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) and YPDG members
• talking to young people not involved in the programmes, staff who work with young people on the programmes, and ministers and civil servants
• the findings were checked with MYPs, YPDG members, staff, and civil servants in workshops

How do young people find out about the programmes?

People found out through school, being in a youth council, social media and from friends and family.

What makes young people take part?

MYPs and YPDG members had an interest in politics. They wanted to represent young people’s views, make a difference, and be heard by policy makers. They also wanted to develop skills, have new experiences and help their future education and work options.

What stops young people from taking part?

Young people not involved in the UK Youth Parliament or YPDG told us what stopped them from taking part. This included:

• not knowing about the programmes
• worrying about not ‘fitting in’
• the time and cost of taking part
• that the activities would feel like school.

What is good about the programmes?

MYPs and YPDG members liked the training about politics. They also liked having a say and being heard on the issues that young people care about. A mix of online and in-person activities made getting involved easier.

The YPDG members liked that it was a small group and that they got to engage minsters and senior civil servants.

MYPs and YPDG members valued being supported by programme staff. They developed trusted and supportive relationships with them. They also said staff helped and encouraged them to learn new skills, feel confident and stay engaged during the programme.

What could be improved?

MYPs had different experiences, support and opportunities depending on where they lived and what youth services were available in their area. MYPs with support from local youth workers or schools got more out of the programme. MYPs felt the UK Youth Parliament should make sure that everyone has the space to have their say and be listened to, including the youngest MYPs and those with different opinions.

YPDG members said that the issues discussed with ministers and civil servants were not always of interest to them.

Do the programmes make change happen?

Everyone we spoke to, thought the programmes were a good way to engage young people in politics and have a say in decisions. MYPs spoke to local decision makers but weren’t always supported by staff to meet with them. The YPDG spoke with central government officials regularly.

We found the programmes had influenced change in local and national government policy making (for example, in knife crime, mental health and Votes at 16). The programmes gave young people a sense of achievement, especially when they were involved and influenced change.

Can young people get more involved in decision making?

MYPs and YPGD members wanted more opportunities to meet with ministers and civil servants. They also suggested a need to receive better feedback on their work. Policy officials said that awareness of programmes across government could be improved.

What do young people get from taking part?

Those who took part in the UK Youth Parliament and YPDG learnt about political processes, developed skills in communication, leadership, and teamwork. MYPs and YPDG members felt proud of the work they did in the programmes, which also built their self-confidence. They made friends and connections with professionals, gained knowledge and skills that helped them in other areas, like school, and it also helped some people to make decisions about what they wanted to do in the future.

Recommendations

Based on the results of this research, we have three key recommendations for the programmes:

1. Promote the programmes in different ways, including on social media.

2. Make sure all young people have the support they need to take part.

3. Make sure the government knows about the programmes and makes use of them.

Read the full youth engagement impact study report.