The Youth Policy Development Group with SOUK and DCMS

Do you think your voice deserves to be heard by government ministers on matters of policy-making?

Do you believe more young people’s views need to be represented?

At Shout Out UK, we do.

That’s why we have teamed up with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to convene a Youth Policy Development Group (YPDG), responsible for representing and articulating the voice of England’s Youth to politicians at the highest levels of government, in order mainstream the youth voice across all national decisions.

A Group of Policy-Making Specialists

As part of a diverse 30-member team, the YPDG devises extensive policy briefs in specific topic areas and presents these directly to government ministers. Throughout the 4-month process, they are guided and upskilled via monthly training sessions organised by Shout Out UK. These sessions provide the Group with the necessary skills to debate, create and present policy briefs to real-world policy-makers.

Our first training session took place at Goldsmith’s, University of London on the 27th of November, 2021. The next training session will occur on the 15th of January, 2022

Shaping Government Policy NOW.

The YPDG conducted their first Roundtable with senior policy-makers from the Department for Education and Minister Robin Walker, Minister of State for Schools and Standards, on the 7th of December. They presented and discussed their policy recommendations for solving the issues of low vaccination and test-&-trace uptake amongst young people, of informing young people about trusted sources of information.

The next roundtable, covering issues such as the Rights of the Child, and providing adequate standards of living and quality education to all young people, will take place on the 25th of January.