Awards For Young People
Are you aged 10-25 years? Do you want to try new things and have your personal achievements more widely recognised?
This website will help you to identify Awards that can be fun to undertake and can make a big difference to your future prospects.
Use the Awards Finder to find out more about Awards available to young people in Scotland and how they can benefit you.
What are Youth Work Awards?
An Award recognises personal achievement. It might be in the form of a certificate, an approved qualification or a badge that can be gained after successfully completing a programme of activity that normally requires personal commitment over a period of time. Awards can be achieved through spare time activities, often undertaken as part of a youth group, or through voluntary activity engaged in through a school or college.
In addition to the personal satisfaction of achieving an Award, youth Awards testify to learning, skills and experiences gained outside of a formal educational setting that are highly valued by employers, colleges and universities. Adding these to qualifications gained through formal education provides a more complete picture of a young person and can significantly boost prospects for employment and progression.
The Awards Network in Scotland includes many organisations that offer awards and qualifications. The range of activities recognised through Awards is vast. Examples include:
The length of time and location will depend on the Award chosen. Click here to try out the Award Finder. Under each Award provider there are links to further information about their Awards and what these involve.
What are the benefits?
The Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) aims to inspire more young people to develop an interest in STEM and pursue the study of STEM subjects and relevant future pathways.
As well as allowing the YSLs to develop important leadership, communication and employability skills, working towards a YSLP Award will also motivate young people to continue to progress their STEM studies and perhaps eventually embark on a career in STEM.
Above all else, this programme aims to promote STEM curiosity in young people and to encourage them to learn about the world around them in a fun and engaging way.
The programme is offered in two versions:
See more information on the Young STEM Leader You Tube Channel
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This is the highest award in The Girls' Brigade with girls all over the world working towards gaining their Queen's Award.
Participating in the Award demonstrates leadership, teamwork, responsibility, knowledge, discipline, research skills, self-motivation and a huge amount of dedication.
The Award encourages a personal Christian commitment, while respecting other faiths.
ASDAN Short Courses are flexible, portfolio-based programmes designed to accredit up to 60 hours of activity and skills development across a range of topics and curriculum areas.
There are more than 30 titles …
Personal and Social Development :
Sport and Activities:
Informal:
Vocational Tasters:
Core Subjects:
The Dynamic Youth Awards provide an accreditation framework to support quality work with young people. They are easy to use and can be incorporated into your existing or planned activities. The Awards follow a Plan-Do-Review process which enables young people to better recognise and describe their achievements. The Awards fully support the aims, values, purpose and implementation of A Curriculum for Excellence.
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"I'm Stephanie and I'm from Glasgow."
Stephanie is a carer for her housebound Mum. Introduced to Outward Bound Trust by her Carer Centre's youth work programme, she undertook the demanding and challenging Skills for Life Award.
Reflecting on her experience of this residential programme, Stephanie said: "I changed more in 19 days than over the course of my 18 years....I never thought that someone could develop and grow as quickly as on one of these courses....It wasn't until I took a step back that I realised what I'd achieved and what had changed."
Commenting on the benefits of youth award programmes such as the Skills for Life Award, Stephanie remarks: "They teach you so many life lessons that you can apply to everyday life"
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"School wasn't the best for me".
Aiden shares his experience of learning post-school and how youth awards can help develop skills for employment, add to the CV and provide a good talking point in interviews.
"I had no idea there were so many awards you could get outside school..... Awards can give you the chance to get the experience....that employers look for."
"My 100 hours Saltire Award will be really helpful to me on my CV....Schools should incorporate more awards like these to give you more opportunities."
A Directory of Youth Awards in Scotland.
A sample of quotes from employers, and case studies.
A quick guide to Apprenticeships in Scotland.
Tips on CVs and applications and access to the MyWorldofWork CV builder.
How to write a UCAS Undergraduate personal statement
Download a copy of ‘Get Ahead – Scouting and employability’ – an example of how to identify transferrable skills gained through youth work experiences.
