NxtGen (previously Young Researcher Training Programme) arose out of the recognition that if we are going to produce meaningful research that will benefit young people, we need young people to tell us what is important to them and work with us to decide what the research should be, how it should be carried out and communicated.
For young people to be involved in all aspects of the research process, we wanted to provide a training programme that could be delivered through different organisations – schools, youth groups and self-directed. This training programme has been designed to meet the requirements of the Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
NxtGen has been co-created with young people, both in the design of the course and the details of each session. The development team consisted of 12 young people aged 14-18, from diverse backgrounds and attending a range of schools and colleges, supported by University of Southampton staff with research and academic skills expertise.
NxtGen Research Programme overview
The fully-resourced training programme covers a range of topics through 16 training sessions such as:
- what research is
- how to be a reflective and reflexive researcher
- introduction to research methods
- research ethics
It includes session plans, PowerPoint presentations, worksheets and videos.
Young researchers explain their policy recommendations.
They explore their reasons for:
- choosing the research topics they did.
- why they are important.
- what it would mean to them for their policy recommendations to be implemented in the city.
This manifesto was co-created by the spring/summer 2024 NxtGen young researcher cohort and University of Southampton researchers.
It is a call to action from the researchers investigating health and social care issues affecting their peers, working with decision-makers to propose solutions.
It outlines their vision for improving young people’s health and wellbeing, and includes 12 practical policy recommendations, such as better mental health support, inclusive education, and more youth engagement in decision-making, to make services more responsive to young people’s needs.
