FUTURE-PROOFED DofE
Last year, we conducted research with YouGov, the world-renowned research agency, into what young people and teachers think about the DofE. Laura McIntosh examines the outcomes...
speaking to a researcher on the phone. W
Our Diamond Anniversary last year was a great opportunity to reflect on our wonderful past but we recognise that now’s the time to look to the future.
Young people and Leaders are at the heart of everything we do and we wanted to listen to what they/you have to say. Together we build the DofE brand and we’re all invested in making sure it’s future-proofed for generations to come.
You will be pleased to know that the results of the research were overwhelmingly positive. You can be confident that the DofE is in a great place to grow and build on the success of the last 61 years. You are a key part of this success – so thank you.
e sought the opinions of young people and teachers. Some were involved in the DofE, and some were not. If you’re a Leader in a school it’s likely you contributed to this research, either by filling in the survey or
Main research findings summary
Both young people and schools believe the DofE is a credible, enduring and unique organisation that has stood the test of time.
• Compared with other youth organisations, the DofE has the highest level of familiarity amongst young people; it scores more highly on being ‘challenging’, and DofE participants are more likely to see it as ‘fun’ and ‘exciting’ than other programmes.
• Young people are generally motivated to take part in the DofE to boost their CV/application form and to learn new skills.
• Participating schools report that demand is stable (48%) or increasing (42%), with 33% of reporting that they are over-subscribed; demonstrating considerable opportunity for growth.
• Engaging a new generation of volunteers is essential to supporting this growth.
• Ensuring that young people understand the holistic nature of a DofE programme and that it’s not just for those that love the outdoors is important in attracting a diverse range of young people.
• Helping participants to make the right activity choices at the start of their DofE journeys and raising awareness that an existing activity could count may support completions.
We have already started using these research findings in our strategic planning. Whilst we’ve always talked about the employability aspects of achieving an Award, now we know it’s the most popular reason for starting a DofE programme we’ll be looking at ways to get this message across to participants to motivate them to complete.
We’ve updated the LifeZone content to focus more on supporting young people to articulate their DofE skills and attributes when applying for university or work, including creating a CV template they can use.
We are investing in training for adults running the DofE and looking at ways to ensure the Expedition section isn’t off-putting – especially for new Bronze participants. We have all this and more in plan. Exciting times lie ahead and we’re grateful for your continued support.
DofE Magazine Issue 29: SPRING 2018 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
