Public service provider Amey has encouraged 30 of its young employees to sign up for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award in business for their 2020 cohort.
The Gold DofE Award is an 18-month programme that pushes the limits of and develops young people’s key skills and attributes to boost their career prospects. The opportunity takes young employees out of their comfort zone and aligns with their personal development within Amey, where they set their own challenges and identify where they’d like to improve in their self-development.
The 2020 cohort join more than 500 apprentices that have started their DofE with Amey since 2010, contributing more than 12,000 volunteering hours.
Sarah Hale, Amey Business Manager, commented, “We know that the current pandemic is having a big impact on young people and navigating the new normal whilst at the start of your career can seem daunting and challenging. It’s therefore essential that young people can continue to learn and focus on their self-development during these unprecedented times. The Gold DofE Award provides the perfect framework for them to do that, and I’m absolutely delighted that another 30 of our employees have signed up. I’m excited to see how much they develop and to celebrate their achievements with them over the coming months.”
Amey Degree Apprentice, Nicholas Bignell on signing up said, “I never considered the DofE before starting at Amey but after looking into the Gold DofE Award, I think it will gain me valuable experience and improve my teamwork skills. It looks like an exciting opportunity to be a part of and will improve my connections, relationships and hopefully with the physical section get me more active. It’s a new experience and challenge for myself, which I am excited to get involved with.”
Caroline Glen, DofE Fundraising Director, commented, “As a long-standing partner of the DofE charity for seventeen years, Amey has long supported the development of young people, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, recognising the value of achieving a DofE Award. So many of Amey’s young workforce has gone above and beyond during their own personal Gold DofE Award journeys. They have experienced a huge sense of achievement and enjoyment from it; all whilst developing the distinctive characteristics of confidence, responsibility, leadership and teamwork, which are key to Amey’s success. These young people are the leaders and community citizens of the future – playing their part in helping the nation to recover from COVID-19 pandemic - and we are thrilled to see Amey’s next DofE generation embark on this life-changing opportunity.”
74% of young people said that achieving their Award helped them develop self-esteem, 71% identified improved self-belief and 74% said it allowed them to try activities they would never have tried before.