New research released by the National Citizen Service (NCS), the country’s flagship youth empowerment programme, has gauged what teens – and their parents – in South East England want to change as 15-16 year olds transition from childhood to adulthood.

With GCSE exams looming for young people, nearly a third (29.4%) of parents in South East England hope their teens will change to have ‘more confidence’ in the next twelve months, with nearly one in two (45.9%) parents saying they want their teens to be happier in their own skin. Above all, parents want to see their teen embrace change more, with nearly three quarters (72.4%) keen to see this.

When it comes to communication, over half (51.8%) of said they would like their teens to get better at discussing the things that are bothering them. Yet for young people, having their parents treat them more like an adult (26.5%) and nag them less (24.1%) are the changes they would most like to see in the relationship they have with their mum or dad.

The research is being released as NCS launches a new campaign for teens to change their summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbn6-YViVK4&sns=em.

Natasha Kizzie, Marketing Director at NCS Trust, says: “NCS is a unique 3 week summer programme exclusively for 15-17 year olds. This is a critical period in teens’ development as they start to become young adults. We conducted this research in South East England to find out more about what teens and parents wanted to change this year. It's great to see that confidence, communications skills and independence are a key focus for both groups. NCS is a great opportunity for teens to develop these skills whilst having fun.”

Talking about the findings in South East England, local NCS leader Sheetal Limbu, 24, from Ashford says: “We want teens to join us to change their summer. NCS is a really amazing way to spend three weeks of your longest summer holiday ever, after the hard slog of GCSE exams. With so many changes happening in the world, but also personally, NCS makes sure young people are equipped with the tools you need to tackle whatever the world throws at you.”

When asked what one thing they would change in the world in 2017, ‘making college or university more affordable’ was the top wish for parents in South East England (23.5%) while teens would create more jobs for young people (18.8%). Teens also admitted to feeling nervous about the year ahead and just 7.1% said they felt prepared for it.

Commenting on the research – and the NCS campaign – local teen Josh Attwell, 17, from Kent says: “I found that NCS was the perfect antidote to post exam stress. It offered me the chance to take part in a unique opportunity that is extremely enjoyable, allows you to builds friendships, strengthens CVs and makes you feel confident. I would definitely recommend NCS as it certainly plays a part in helping a young person’s character flourish.”

Find out more about NCS’ three week summer programme for 15-17 year olds in your local area by visiting www.ncsyes.co.uk or contacting the NCS contact centre on 0800 197 8010.

Article supplied by April Flanagan