4 Feb 2019
Read about the National Group on Recognising Wider Learning and Achievement; Dual award recognition and more in our February Newsletter
14 Nov 2018
Read about young people’s views on how qualification assessment can be improved in the Awards Network November Newsletter
15 Oct 2018
Read about the Saltire Awards review and youth consultation in the Awards Network October Newsletter
13 Sep 2018
Read about Big Ideas and more in the Awards Network Newsletter September 2018
15 Aug 2018
Awards Network Newsletter, August 2018
Read about the biggest change in the Girlguiding youth programme; Young Enterprise Scottish and UK success for Orkney pupils; growth in achievement of the Heritage Hero Award; the impact of an Outward Bound experience on pupils from North East schools; and much more
23 Jul 2018
Girlguiding is ‘excited about awards’ and no wonder! In what is described as the biggest overhaul in its history, Girlguiding launched its new youth programme on Saturday 21 July. ‘There’s something available for everyone who wants to complete an award. Every girl will have the opportunity to push her boundaries, have new experiences and feel proud of her achievement. And as girls get older the range of awards increases, so girls can tailor their Guiding journey to really suit their interests.’
Six Themes form the building blocks for the Programme - know myself, express myself, be well, have adventures, take action and skills for my future
The programme has been designed during the past 18 months with input from over 50,000 members across the UK to “reflect the diversity of girls and modern life in the 21st Century”. It includes ‘an updated range of awards to inspire girls to celebrate their achievements. Some are new awards, others have a long history. But all of them take time and commitment to achieve, which is why they’re something girls can be really proud of.’
The Awards Network congratulates Girlguiding on the launch of this exciting new programme that supports progressive learning and development and will deliver skills and outcomes that are clearly recognisable in the context of Curriculum for Excellence and DYW. Coming as it does during Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018, the programme provides fantastic new opportunities to recognise and celebrate the achievements of girls and young women.
15 Jun 2018
Read more about consultations with young people on recognising achievement by Shirley Ann Somerville MSP Minister for Further Education Higher Education and Science Awards Network in our June 2018 Newsletter
13 Jun 2018
Sandy Begbie CBE, Global Integration Director at Standard Life Aberdeen plc and Chair of DYW EdinMidEast, champions DYW and the contribution of youth awards to equipping young people with key skills for the workplace.
In an interview filmed for the Awards Network, Sandy highlights the role of teachers and youth workers in helping prepare young people for the world of work. He calls on schools and employers to work more closely together and in particular to recognise the importance of non-academic skills and experiences such as those provided through youth awards. Such key skills are identified as including confidence, communications, teamwork, working with other people, interpersonal and customer skills.
From recruitment experience Sandy says that young people who have been through such non-academic experiences “clearly come to the fore” and suggests that employers, teachers and youth workers could do more to encourage young people to recognise the value of such experiences.
More stakeholder views on the value and impact of youth awards can be found on the Awards Network’s YouTube channel
5 Jun 2018
Connect says the value of youth awards is enormous and calls on Parents / Carers to encourage take-up of youth awards
Eileen Prior, Executive Director of Connect (formerly SPTC) says parents / carers should encourage young people to take up youth awards. “Youth awards provide a breadth and depth of learning that is generally not available in schools…They give young people the opportunity to develop a whole range of skills that employers are looking for.”
Whether young people are academically able or not Prior says “The value of youth awards is enormous”. In a message to schools she says “It is really important for schools to recognise the wider achievements of young people” and reminds them that this is an important part of Curriculum for Excellence.
This is one of a series of film clips produced by the Awards Network to increase awareness of the value of youth awards and to highlight their importance to different stakeholder groups.
15 May 2018
Awards Network News and Information Update May 2018 edition
