28 Mar 2018
Awards Network News and Information Update March 2018 edition
25 Jan 2018
The Awards Network’s scheme to increase recognition of the range, reach and impact of youth awards in Scotland, received a major boost at a packed Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament this week.
Introducing the Parliamentary Reception, Awards Aware – How Youth Awards Support Attainment, event sponsor Jenny Gilruth MSP, stressed the positive impact youth awards can have on the life chances of young people.
Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the contribution of youth awards to achieving Curriculum for Excellence, Scottish Attainment Challenge and Developing the Young Workforce goals. Fittingly during YOYP2018, the Minister said “there’s a huge amount to celebrate with our young people.”
Acknowledging that “80—85% of young people's learning takes place out with the classroom,” the Minister praised the work of the Awards Network member organisations in providing a wide diversity of award programmes and the recognition given to achievements of young people.
Leith Academy Head Teacher Mike Irving shared the growing part that wider achievement and youth awards also play in school. Highlighting the impact of awards on young people and skills development, he said “It has a lot to do with young people feeling valued for their achievements.”
Employers too recognised how youth awards help young people develop the communication, leadership and teamwork skills that businesses prize, nurturing confidence, resilience, enterprise, adaptability and ambition that will help them navigate an ever-changing jobs market.
Inspirational Young People
These skills were amply demonstrated by inspirational young people who shared their own award journeys. Event Chair and former MSYP Emmie Main said her youth award has been instrumental to shaping her career path. Through her award journey multi award achiever Courtney May Letham, now pursuing a Modern Apprenticeship, said “I’ve become a better version of myself.” Liam Slaven MSYP, helping shape policy for care experienced young people as a member of the Falkirk Champion Board, called for greater equity between awards and formal qualifications. Robyn Seymour recounted how completing her Queen’s Scout Award pushed her to new heights of achievement, developing communication and people skills invaluable to her work and volunteering activities.
Awards Aware scheme
Education Scotland Assistant Director Joan MacKay concluded the event by urging all to sign up to the Awards Aware scheme, display their Awards Aware Certificate and promote the scheme widely amongst colleagues and friends. The scheme has been designed to raise the awareness of youth awards amongst educators, employers and others and encourage practice that demonstrates they value non-formal learning achievements of young people.
23 Jan 2018
Guests from education, industry, government and the third sector will gather at the Scottish Parliament this evening with young people and representatives of Awards Network member organisations for a Parliamentary Reception sponsored by Jenny Gilruth MSP.
Shirley Anne Somerville MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, will provide the keynote address on Awards Aware – How Youth Awards Support Attainment.
Youth awards provide enormous opportunities for young people to develop skills, improve attainment and have their achievements recognised. The Awards Network seeks to develop greater awareness amongst educators, employers, parents and young people themselves of the range, value and potential life-changing impact of youth awards available across Scotland. It is encouraging, schools, colleges, employers and individuals to demonstrate their awareness of youth awards by signing up to its Awards Aware Scheme and having this recognised by displaying an Awards Aware Certificate.
8 Jan 2018
Requests to attend the Parliamentary Reception can be emailed by 15th January 2018 at the latest to office@youthscotland.org.uk
Read more about Scottish Parliament YOYP 2018 recognition of the Awards Network here.
20 Dec 2017
Thanks to the input of members, partners and supporters, 2017 has been a very positive year for the Awards Network, achieving increased membership and recognition. Some highlights include:
Achievement of 91,000 youth awards recorded over 12 months
The publication of Amazing Things 4
Launch of our new website www.awardsnetwork.org
Increased Awards Network engagement across a wide spectrum of organisations and sectors;
Growing awareness of the value and importance of youth awards to learner journeys and to key policy goals on attainment, equity and Developing the Young Workforce
Positive recognition for our work during a recent Parliamentary Debate on Year of Young People.
YoYP2018 provides a fantastic opportunity to promote youth awards and the wider achievements of young people and to ensure that more people are awards aware.
Kicking off the celebrations at the beginning of Year of Young People 2018, we are delighted that Shirley-Anne Somerville, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, will be our guest speaker at an Awards Network Parliamentary Reception on 23rd January. Young people will share their award journeys, illustrating the impact of youth awards on life chances and choices. Hugh Aitken CBE, CBI Scotland Director, has also kindly agreed to speak, highlighting the value attributed by employers to the skills and aptitudes developed through youth awards. Requests to attend the Parliamentary Reception should be emailed to office@youthscotland.org.uk by 11 January 2018.
In the meantime, best wishes to you all for a peaceful and relaxing Christmas and great achievements for 2018!
13 Dec 2017
The work of the Awards Network in recognising achievements of young people and encouraging volunteering has been recognised and praised in a Parliamentary Debate to mark the forthcoming Year of Young People 2018.
In her first speech to Parliament as Minister for Childcare and Early Years, Maree Todd MSP proposed the Motion ‘That the Parliament recognises that 2018 has been designated as Scotland’s Year of Young People; notes that it will provide an opportunity to showcase the achievements and talents of all young people in Scotland and to ensure that their views are heard and acted on; welcomes that the themes for the year have been designed and agreed by young people themselves, and agrees that the Parliament has a key role to play in celebrating the contribution that Scotland’s young people make to society and their communities.’
An amendment to the Motion from Iain Gray MSP, inserted the following which was unanimously endorsed by the Parliament:
“; welcomes the work being done by the Awards Network in recognising young people’s achievements; recognises that there are barriers in society that prevent some young people being able to fully participate in volunteering opportunities, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with educational bodies, employers and the young people themselves to build on the network to ensure that these awards are recognised to be as valuable as traditional qualifications, as a legacy for Scotland’s Year of Young People.”
The Minister advanced that “Changing attitudes is perhaps the single biggest ambition we can have for 2018. We can do that by celebrating young people’s achievements.”
Responding to a suggestion from Iain Gray that a mechanism is found to “pull together every young person’s achievements …. (and that) Such a mechanism would include exams, which are already respected and recognised, and place alongside them with the same esteem those other experiences and achievements”, John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, confirmed “the Government’s willingness to engage constructively on how we can use the year of young people to better record and capture (such wider achievements) for the benefit of young people and society”
The Awards Network will mark the start of Year of Young People 2018 with a Parliamentary Reception on 23rd January 2018. Young people will illustrate the impact of youth awards on their life chances and choices in presentations of their own awards journeys. The Parliamentary Reception is sponsored by Jenny Gilruth MSP, with Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science as a keynote speaker. Further details available from contact@awardsnetwork.org
17 Oct 2017
Amazing Things - A Guide to Youth Awards in Scotland
John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, was pleased to receive his copy of Amazing Things during the 2017 Scottish Learning Festival.
A subsequent communication to the Awards Network noted that:
The Government supports the valuable contribution that youth awards make to encouraging and recognising young people’s wider achievements, which can increase their confidence and self-esteem as well as helping to address the attainment gap.
The latest edition of Amazing Things contains information on 48 youth award / awards programmes offered though the 26 members of the Awards Network. Have you ordered your copy yet?
Copies of Amazing Things 4 can be downloaded from the Awards Network website. Hard copies can be ordered by contacting office@youthscotland.org.uk
19 Sep 2017
Amazing Things (4th edition)
The 4th edition of Amazing Things – the guide to youth awards in Scotland has been launched by the Awards Network to coincide with the 2017 Scottish Learning Festival. Featuring 26 youth award providers and more than double the number of youth awards than the previous edition, it is packed with information that will help young people, educators and employers learn more about youth awards and how they contribute to young people’s learning, life and work skills development.
In his Foreword to Amazing Things, John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, highlights the important contribution that youth awards make to raising attainment and to developing key skills valued by employers. Hugh Aitken CBE, CBI Scotland Director, echoes these remarks, commending youth awards for helping young people develop a ‘can do attitude – exactly what we (employers) want to see in the workforce’.
A keynote contribution from Jim Thewliss, General Secretary of School Leaders Scotland, notes how youth awards have developed ‘from curriculum enhancements to fundamental building blocks’.
And from young people themselves:
Graeme – “Gaining my award is an amazing achievement. I have learned so many new skills, met so many new friends and this has boosted my confidence”
Stephanie – “From self-management to making the most of new opportunities (my award) has given me the chance to grow as a person”
Amazing Things features 48 award programmes, many providing multiple levels of progression and almost half delivering formal qualifications. Find out about key award elements, age ranges, distinctive features, skills and competences and links to other awards.
Graeme Logan, Chief Inspector of Education, encourages ‘everyone who works with young people – in schools, youth work settings, further education or in the workplace to make best use of this excellent resource’.
Copies of Amazing Things 4 can be ordered by contacting office@youthscotland.org.uk or downloaded from the Awards Network website.
11 Sep 2017
Youth Awards Skills boost employability and attainment
Two recent research reports point to the value of youth awards in boosting young people’s employment prospects and academic performance. Employers, teachers and young people highlight the importance of ‘soft skills’ that youth work and youth awards help young people to develop.
The Prince’s Trust Results for Life Report reveals that soft skills such as teamwork, communication and confidence are considered by young people, teachers and workers to be as important to achieving success in life as good grades.
A recent poll of senior managers commissioned by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award produced similar findings:
3 Jul 2017
An Interim Report on progress delivering outcomes on the high level Ambitions of Scotland’s National Youth Work Strategy 2014/19 has recently been released. The Report highlights the role of youth awards in ‘supporting young people in their learning and to progress to further and higher education, training and employment on leaving school.’
Noting the important contribution of volunteer and paid youth workers to delivery of youth award opprtunities, John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said: ‘The phenomenal growth in completions of youth awards is a real sign of youth work’s success.’
(National Youth Work Strategy 2014/19 – Interim Report, July 2017, YouthLink Scotland, p24)
The full report can be found on the YouthLink Scotland website
