The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award operates in more than 130 countries and territories, helping to inspire millions of young people. The Award encourages young people to learn new skills, get physically active, volunteer within their communities and discover a sense of adventure outside the classroom. It offers young people opportunities that help them unlock their potential and be ready for their world, whatever that world may be.
The Award can enhance your business’s continuous professional development by providing a personal development framework for your young employees, which challenges young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world.
Non-formal education and learning play a role in the development of skills and traits such as resilience, confidence and communication. The Award focuses on allowing young people to step outside of their comfort zone; to try, test and reassess new ways of doing things in new and unfamiliar settings. This framework encourages young people to explore new frontiers, push their limits, and learn from both their successes and their mistakes.
Research has shown that the Award has the power to transform the lives of young people and equip them to be confident, resilient, and adaptable global citizens. Around the world, employers recognise the edge the Award gives their employees, and now, the International Award Foundation (IAF) is working directly with businesses like yours, to give their young employees the chance to take on the Award.
Discover more about our social value research model and evaluation in our recent publication in conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC): Changing lives in the changing world.
Why offer the Award in your business?
If your business is invested in the development and future of young employees, then ‘the Award in Business‘ will enable you to cultivate a growth mindset in your organization and nurture your future leaders. By delivering the Award in your business, you will be providing more young people with access to essential non-formal education, providing them an opportunity the soft skills and leadership capabilities needed in today’s everchanging world.
The Award is respected worldwide for creating well-rounded individuals that know how to develop and achieving their goals consistently. Young people who complete the Award demonstrate a greater self-awareness, increased self-efficacy and esteem, and a greater commitment to serving their community and working as a team.
Young employers are not the only ones to learn and benefit from the Award in Business, employees not undertaking the Award act as Award Leaders who mentor and support the Award participant on their journey. Some employees may also be eligible to volunteer their time as subject matter experts, known as Award Assessors. The Award provides an internationally consistent learning and development framework to support employees who volunteer as Award Leaders/ Assessors and Supervisors. Thus, the Award has a fantastic in-built volunteering and leadership development programme to offer to more senior staff and can be utilised as an opportunity to recognise staff for their contribution to your business.
What do employers say about Award participants?
Barclays is committed to supporting employability of young people. The Award encompasses many of our principles- resilience, self-assurance and drive."There are many young people with incredible talent that just need help in challenging them to reach their potential. The Award allows them to do just that."The Award is a unique programme, which allows young people to develop essential skills, while also testing their discipline and commitment. It equips young people with essential vocational and life skills that will set them in good stead for future employment opportunities and a lifetime of achievement."The Award: Skills for the Future
Our ambition is that every young person will have the opportunity to participate in the Award no matter where they are and we are proud to partner with business to make this happen through our Operating Partner licence model.
Find out more about becoming an Operating Partner, contact [email protected] for further information.
