SkillsBuild for Participants

Learn new skills. Boost your future. Complete your DofE Skills section.

Whether you’re interested in technology, sustainability, artificial intelligence, employability, or professional skills, IBM SkillsBuild offers 100s of free online courses to help you develop skills for life, work and your DofE Award.

• Free to use
• Learn at your own pace
• Hundreds of courses available
• Earn digital credentials and badges
• Can be used towards your DofE Skills section

Participant sign up

Step 1: Register for IBM SkillsBuild

Click the button above to create your free account.

When signing up:

1. Select High School when asked what type of learner you are
2. Sign up using Google or IBMid
3. Verify your email address when prompted

Already have a SkillsBuild account?

IBM SkillsBuild has recently updated its sign-in process. If you’ve used SkillsBuild before, you may now be asked to create an IBMid to access your account. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean creating a new SkillsBuild profile.

Simply create your IBMid using the same email address that’s already linked to your SkillsBuild account. This will allow you to continue accessing your existing learning history, progress, digital badges and credentials without losing any of your previous achievements.

If you use a different email address, SkillsBuild may not be able to connect you to your existing profile and learning records.

Returning learners should:

• Use the same email address previously registered with SkillsBuild
• Create an IBMid with Google or complete the Account Information section of the form
• Sign in using your new IBMid credentials
• Continue learning from where you left off, with all your progress and badges intact

Step 2: Explore courses and get inspired

From Artificial Intelligence and sustainability to gaming, employability and professional skills, IBM SkillsBuild offers hundreds of free courses to help you build skills for your future while working towards your DofE Skills section.

Popular courses include:

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• The Tech Behind Modern Gaming
• Creating an Elevator Pitch Using Generative AI
• Sustainability Essentials
• Career Readiness and Employability Skills

Whether you have 10 minutes or a few hours a week, there’s learning to suit every interest and schedule.

Browse all IBM SkillsBuild courses

Important before you start: Before beginning your Skills section, speak with your DofE Leader to ensure your chosen IBM SkillsBuild course meets the requirements of your Award level.

Step 3: Complete your learning

As you learn, you can:

• Earn digital badges and gain industry-recognised credentials
• Track your progress
• Develop workplace-ready skills
• Add achievements to your CV, personal statement, LinkedIn profile and job applications

The skills and credentials you gain can help you stand out to colleges, universities and employers.

Step 4: How to upload your completion record into eDofE

1. Log into your IBM SkillsBuild account and select ‘Log in’ (top right corner).
2. Log in as a High School Student using your email as the login.
3. Once logged in and on the IBM SkillsBuild Homepage, hover your mouse over the ‘Progress’ Section (top of the page).
4. Select the ‘Summary’ section on the drop-down menu.
5. On the progress section, you will then see a summary of the learning you have completed. Select the ‘x hours completed’ section.
6. Take a screenshot of the following page, which shows your email, learning completed and date completed on.
7. You will then need to save the screenshot to your computer. Make sure it is somewhere you remember.
8. On the eDofE portal, select the ‘Skills’ Section, scroll down and select ‘Manage Evidence’
9. Select ‘Add Photo or File Evidence’
10. Select ‘upload’ and you will have the option to attach a document. Choose the Excel document in your ‘downloads’ as seen in Step 8.
11. Select ‘Submit’ to submit your evidence to your assessor.