Employers look beyond results

As GCSE students across England and Wales study their results and prepare to enter the world of work or further education, I wanted to let you about a new research study that The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) has commissioned which reveals the attitudes and opinions of over 500 UK business leaders towards the importance of soft skills.

Nine in 10 of the business leaders surveyed revealed they are more likely to employ a candidate who demonstrates achievements beyond grades and those who show evidence of strong ‘soft skills’ often progress faster in the workplace.

This doesn’t come as a surprise to me; the results from the survey demonstrate that a young person’s potential should not be measured solely on academic achievements, something we’ve always championed at the DofE.

Whilst grades are of course important, they don’t showcase a young person’s full potential.

Evidence of soft skills helps employers to see that a young person is more employable and that they will be able to adapt to the workplace culture more easily and progress faster in the job.

The DofE is well known as the world’s leading youth achievement award that develops over 400,000 young people every year in the UK.

The skills developed whilst

doing a DofE programme are transferrable to the workplace. Skills and attributes such as communication, team work, leadership and confidence can be learnt whilst volunteering, learning a new skill, keeping fit and being out in the country on expedition.

It is really important that on results day, should young people not receive the grades that they had been hoping for, that they don’t feel despondent.

There is more to life than exam results; the DofE can be

a life-changing opportunity for many young people, offering them the chance to develop vital skills for both work and life. Peter Westgarth Chief executive Duke of Edinburgh Scheme

school it’s important that par- ents of children with asthma keep an eye out for the early warning signs of an asthma attack.

Children are at a much greater risk of having an asthma attack when they’re back at school, partly due to exposure to triggers such as cold and flu viruses. It’s important for parents to spot the signs of an asthma attack early. You should book an urgent appointment with the GP or asthma nurse if your child is: using their reliever inhaler

(usually blue) more than three times a week; coughing or wheezing at night; feeling out of breath and struggling to keep up with their friends.

You can call the Asthma UK Helpline on 0300 222 5800 (Mon-Fri; 9am-5pm), and can find more information on how to protect their child when they’re back in school this August by visiting https://www.asthma.org.uk/ back-to-school

Sonia Munde Nurse manager

Asthma UK