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Parents and Carers

Awards Network for Parents and Carers



Parents and carers are at the centre of learning for young people. Youth awards can make a positive difference to your family:

  • They support and encourage young people to reach their potential.
  • It is a positive way to learn outside of the classroom and school environment.
  • The connect young people to active organisations, employers, supporters building a strong support-network around the individual young person.
  • It is an opportunity to gain qualifications that recognise each small step that young people take on their journey.
  • It opens up amazing experiences that help young people discover their talents and strengths.
  • It is a gift, like no other, that your child will carry with them into the future.
  • It provides access to the skills, qualities and credentials - backed by stories that employers want to hear.

 

 


The Curriculum for Excellence requires schools to recognise the breadth of young people’s achievement, to include achievements gained outside of school through e.g. youth work, volunteering and hobbies, and not simply their ability to pass exams. This means that there is a growing role for community activities to support and complement school based learning.

Employers say:

Business is clear – we need an education system which develops rigorous, rounded and grounded young people. This means a system which focuses as much on the development of key attitudes and attributes – such as confidence, resilience, enterprise, ambition – as on academic progression and attainment.

– Delivering Excellence – an approach for schools in Scotland, CBI, 3/2015

 

Any job requires a set of technical skills, but employees also need a range of ‘soft skills’. Employers increasingly recognise how youth work awards help young people develop these ‘soft skills’, and consequently make them more valuable as employees in the workplace.

Some of our Awards

SSERC (Scottish Schools Education Research Centre)

Young STEM Leader Award (Formal) SCQF L4-6

Provider: SSERC (Scottish Schools Education Research Centre)

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… more

RAF Air Cadets

Air Cadet Aviation Practice 1 Award (SCQF 5)

Provider: RAF Air Cadets

The RAF Air Cadet Aviation Practice 1 Award has been developed through Lowland Reserve FCA and is awarded and certificated by SQA in partnership… more

Venture Scotland

Etive Award: Venture Scotland - The Journey

Provider: Venture Scotland

 We support young people aged 16-30 to develop new life skills and build their confidence, improve their mental and physical health and increase their… more

Scouts Scotland

Chief Scout’s Platinum Award

Provider: Scouts Scotland

  The Chief Scout's Platinum Award is available for Explorer Scouts aged between 14 and 18 and precedes the Chief Scout's Diamond Award. Completion of… more

What can you do?

  • Use the Award Finder to help your child identify the award or range of awards that might best suit their learning needs, interests or ambitions – and encourage positive engagement.
     
  • Encourage your child to share information about their achievements, record them and have these recognised and celebrated by their school.
  • At school parents evenings ask how the school promotes and recognises non-academic achievement.
  • Share information with school pastoral care teams, pupil support and guidance teachers.
  • Get in touch with us or contact an awards provider directly.

CASE STUDIES

RSPB’s Wild Challenge

RSPB’s Wild Challenge

When working for a charity dedicated to taking action for nature, it can be easy to focus exclusively on all things wild and leafy if you’re not careful. The… Read More
Tain and North Highland YMCA SCO

Tain and North Highland YMCA SCO

In Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands it’s been a busy time at Tain YMCA with a number of awards recently being completed by young people. In fact, since… Read More
All Case Studies

LINKS

Funding to support D of E participation

Grant funding of up to £10,250 is available for eligible community and voluntary organisations to set up and deliver the DofE, as well as the enrolment costs for young people taking part.

Meta Skills Framework

This toolkit has been developed through consultation with educators and other partners to create a suite of resources that will support practitioners embed skills in a manageable and sustainable way.

Opportunity Finder

Find more than 35,000 jobs, apprenticeships, courses and volunteering opportunities all in one place.

Curriculum Improvement Cycle Podcast with Gillian Hamilton and Ollie Bray

The Curriculum Improvement Cycle is a systematic review of the Scottish curriculum to ensure it remains up to date and relevant for children and young people.

Personal Achievement Tool on My WOW

Build a library of your achievements! Use this to help track your successes, reflect on what you've accomplished and discover what motivates you.

Scotland’s Curriculum Review Cycle

Education Scotland's blog contains key information on the latest developments of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle Education Scotland is leading on.

Thriving With Nature

WWF and the Mental Health Foundation have come together to produce this guide for you. We want you to thrive and for nature to thrive around you. We think the two are mutually supportive. From forests and rivers, to parks and gardens, to window boxes or e

SCQF - information for Parents and Carers

Understanding the SCQF can help you support your child's learning journey

Interactive Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework

Understand qualification levels, where awards and qualifications sit and how they equate

Youth Work Skills Framework

A tool to help young people to identify and articulate the skills they develop and apply through youth work and related non-formal learning activity

Wider Achievement in a Nutshell

A simple explanation of Wider Achievement from The National Parents Forum of Scotland with examples of opportunities and related awards and qualifications

What is Achievement?

The importance of achievement, outlined in Educations Scotland’s Parentzone