Young people were one of the few topics every party wanted to talk about this conference season. In its round-up of the 2026 party conferences, NCVO said young people’s opportunities came up across the political spectrum, alongside growing concern about the number who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). A few days later, NCVO’s analysis of Budget 2026 noted that the final report of the Milburn Review into young people and work is due next month, with a government response and a White Paper expected in early 2027.

This matters for volunteer managers. NCVO pointed out that volunteering can give young people practical experience, transferable skills and relationships. For those who have struggled at school or work, it can offer a sense of purpose and a supportive place to rebuild motivation. If government starts looking for organisations that can offer that, programmes already set up well for young people will be first in line. Here is how to get ready now, before the policy detail lands.

Take an honest look at your current roles

Most volunteer programmes were not designed with an 18-year-old in mind. Roles often assume a regular weekday commitment, a long application form and a background check before anything happens. Before you recruit, audit what you already offer:

• Which roles could someone start within two weeks of applying?

• Which need no prior experience and come with on-the-job training?

• Which can be done in short blocks, evenings, weekends or as a one-off?

• Which teach a skill an employer would recognise, such as customer service, data entry, event logistics or social media?

If the honest answer to most of these is ’none’, start by redesigning one or two roles rather than overhauling everything at once.

Design roles around skills, not just tasks

Young people who are out of work or education often want proof that their time leads somewhere. Write role descriptions that name the skills involved, and plan how volunteers will be able to show them later. Small changes make a big difference:

• List three skills each role develops in plain language, for example ’handling questions from the public’ rather than ’front of house’.

• Offer a reference after a set number of hours, and say so in the advert.

• Keep a simple record of training completed and milestones reached, so a volunteer can use it on a CV or in an interview.

• Pair new volunteers with a named buddy for their first few shifts.

Our guide to including volunteering experience in your CV is a useful one to share with young volunteers once they have a few months under their belt.

Remove the friction from getting started

Long gaps between applying and starting lose people of every age, but young people are especially likely to drift away. Walk through the whole journey from first click to first shift. Can someone apply on their phone in a few minutes? Do they hear back within days rather than weeks? Can they complete induction online at a time that suits them?

Speed should never come at the expense of safety. If you involve under-18s, you need a clear policy on supervision, parental consent and safeguarding. Check whether each role is actually eligible for a DBS check rather than asking for one by default. Getting this right stops young volunteers waiting weeks for checks on roles that never needed them.

Support people who need more than a rota

Some young people arrive carrying low confidence, anxiety or a difficult experience of school or work. Volunteering can only be a place to rebuild motivation if the environment is genuinely supportive. A few practical habits help:

• Share a clear first-day plan: who they will meet, where to go and what they will do.

• Check in after the first shift and again after a month, by message if that is easier for them.

• Offer a gradual start, such as a short shadowing session before a full shift.

• Make it easy, and guilt-free, to step back for a while and to come back later.

Get your evidence ready now

NCVO says the sector needs to be ready to make its case with practical evidence. When the Milburn Review reports and funding conversations start, organisations that can show results will be heard first. You do not need a complex evaluation. Track a few things consistently for volunteers aged 16 to 24:

• How many applied, started and were still active after three months

• Hours given and training completed

• What they say they gained, using a short survey at three and six months

• Where they went next, such as education, a job or a bigger volunteering role, if they are happy to tell you

Keep it proportionate, and be clear with volunteers about why you are asking and how you will use their data.

A first step, not a substitute for a job

Volunteering will not solve youth unemployment on its own, and it should never become unpaid work experience by another name. But a well-designed role can be the first step back for a young person who has lost confidence, and the organisations that offer those roles will have a strong story to tell in 2027. If you’d like to see how Volunteero can help you speed up onboarding and keep track of hours and training, our team is happy to talk it through. Either way, now is a good time to pick one role and redesign it with young people in mind.