Skills

The DofE has partnered with IBM to offer you free resources you can use in your Skills section.

IBM offers free access to IBM SkillsBuild, letting you:

• Choose from hundreds of professional and technical courses
• Add the recognised qualifications and digital badges to your CV
• Track progress and evidence of your Skills section

Sign up to IBM SkillsBuild with your email.

The Skills section is about learning, the Volunteering section is about using your skills for good in your community.

For example, learning first aid is a Skills activity. Volunteering as a first aider is a Volunteering activity. You might need first aid training before you can volunteer as a first aider. You can use your Skills section to learn first aid, or use up to one quarter of your Volunteering section to train.

Another example, you can do sports coaching for your Skills section. This would include mostly theoretical training and maybe some coaching. For your Volunteering section, you could volunteer as a coach at a sports club.

Talk to your DofE Leader if you’re not sure whether the activity you want to do will count for your Skills section.

Doing unpaid work experience or training can count for this section as life skills. Paid work and core curriculum does not count, as you need to do your DofE outside of work or school time.

If you are taking a formal training course and working towards a certification at work, this could count towards the section.

You can choose an activity that’s related to the subject you want to study at university. You could for example:

• Join a local club and become active in the subject area
• Get work experience in an industry related to the subject
• Study the subject

You can write about your work in your UCAS personal statement to show your commitment and enthusiasm for the subject.