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.
- 92 per cent of teachers think that supporting students to progress their soft skills can help to improve their overall academic performance
- 72 per cent of workers felt they didn’t have all the soft skills to do well in their role when they first started working
- 43 per cent of young people don’t feel prepared to enter the workforce, with 43 per cent of those who feel this way believing their soft skills are not good enough
A recent poll of senior managers commissioned by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award produced similar findings:
- 1 in 3 UK employers regard soft skills as more important than academic achievements
- 93% of senior managers reveal they are more likely to employ a candidate who can demonstrate achievements beyond their curriculum studies, such as a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with 86% looking more favourably on a candidate who shares evidence of volunteering and other extracurricular activities on their social media channels.
