Duke of Edinburgh
A life-changing experience. A fun time with friends. An opportunity to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.
The Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate adult life.
14-24 year-olds can do a DofE programme at one of three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. They involve helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity.
Any young person can do their DofE – regardless of ability, gender, background or location. Achieving an Award isn’t a competition or about being first. It’s all about setting personal challenges and pushing personal boundaries.
Through a DofE programme young people have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build confidence. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and uni and job applications. Top employers recognise the work-ready skills Award holders bring to their business.
Get in touch
If you'd like to learn more about getting involved in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme here at NSCG, drop us an email at dofe@nscg.ac.uk
Want to know how long the Duke of Edinburgh scheme will take to complete? Download our timescale guide below.
Why do the DofE?
For the hundreds of thousands of young people who take part each year, the benefits of achieving a DofE Award at any level are endless. DofE is about helping you along the path to a productive and prosperous future. As many of our participants say, it’s life-changing.
Achieving an Award will give you skills, confidence and an edge over others when you apply for college, university or a job. Beyond your academic achievements, universities want to see evidence of so called ‘soft skills’ that you have developed through extra-curricular activities, such as communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork. Your DofE Award is a fantastic way to demonstrate and evidence these skills in practice.
You’ll also make a difference to other people’s lives and your community, be fitter and healthier, make new friends and have memories to last you a lifetime.
DofE in further and higher education
College or university is not just about lectures, assignments and exams. It’s also about making friends, trying new experiences, being active and healthy or pursuing an interest or activity. The DofE takes you into a place where you’ll push yourself and have amazing new experiences.
You’ll build confidence, resilience, skills and friendship groups and have a brilliant time doing it. It gives you the added benefit of gaining a competitive edge as employers regard a DofE Award highly so it will help open the right doors for you. Many of the skills you gain can be applied to your studies as well as your personal and social development.