The National Youth Service (NYS) Programme is an initiative of the government; this programme is informed by a high number of unskilled graduates, unemployment and lack of training. The aim of this Programme is to engage young people in the service delivery to communities and as a way of building a culture of patriotism and nation building. NYS volunteers are working at science centres throughout South Africa to assist with the implementation of the Youth into Science Strategy and at the same time getting relevant skills and training.

The National Youth Service Volunteer Programme (NYS) is being coordinated through NSTF nationally to support the implementation of Youth into Science Strategy. The Youth into Science Strategy will synergise these efforts and accelerate the promotion of science and technology literacy through its awareness campaigns among all sectors of the population. The strategy will also ensure that these campaigns are sustained at the institutional and community levels.

The Cabinet adopted the Youth into Science strategy in March 2007 as a tool to encourage participation of Youth in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. The strategy targets mainly school-going youth and undergraduate students in STEM. It also supports people who are involved in recruiting more youth to pursuing their careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and contributing towards improved learner performance in these careers.

One of the challenges facing the science system is the need to speedily renew human capital in science, engineering and technology. A key intervention for achieving this goal is the Youth into Science Strategy. Its development has been extensively consultative, involving no fewer than 70 role-players and stakeholders in mathematics, science and technology education