Telford College is launching a new Duke of Edinburgh Award programme to offer invaluable skills and life-changing experiences to young people.
Telford College says it will be working closely with the Duke of Edinburgh programme’s operations officer to create a scheme which ‘boosts the employability and workplace readiness’ of everyone who takes part.
Anyone keen to get involved in the programme, or find out more details, is invited to contact Telford College’s enrichment co-ordinator Rosie Baldwin-Jones, or email studentvoice@telfordcollege.ac.uk.
The history of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme dates back to 1954 when His Royal Highness Prince Philip was seeking to set up a national programme to support young people’s development.
In the post-war era, he wanted to bridge the gap between leaving formal education at the age of 15 and entering into National Service at 18.
He was eager for teenagers to make the best use of their free time, find interests and acquire self-confidence and a sense of purpose that would support them into their future and help them to become well-rounded citizens.
A pilot for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was launched in February 1956, and has been running successfully ever since – not just in the UK, but all around the world.
The current four section format of Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition, was created in the 1980s, with Bronze, Silver and Gold awarding levels. Popularity has continued to grow, with over 130 countries and territories now offering DofE programmes.
In 2020, young people stepped up and played an integral role in supporting communities across the UK to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
DofE participants sewed PPE at their kitchen tables, delivered food parcels to those who needed them and put on virtual concerts for care homes.
The organisers say: “As the UK recovers, the benefits that the DofE offers are more important than ever. Our new strategy puts the DofE at the heart of the national effort to back young people through the challenging years ahead.”
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