Introducing the DofE Certificate of Achievement
COVID-19 has had a big impact on DofE participants’ lives – affecting your studies, social lives, work, mental health and future plans.
Despite this, since the outbreak began, young people all over the UK have shown amazing motivation and commitment to keep their Skills, Volunteering and Physical sections going through DofE With A Difference.
And, through your volunteering, you’ve made a difference in your communities – from shopping for sheltering neighbours and collecting for foodbanks, to entertaining care home residents and making NHS scrubs, face shields and masks.
But, even though lockdown has eased, it’s clear the pandemic’s effects will be long-lasting – they’ll especially affect the Expedition section and, if you’re doing your Gold, your residential.
For those of you who might not have the chance to do your expedition or residential in coming weeks and months, we want to make sure you get recognised for the massive amount of time, effort and creativity you’ve put into your other sections – you deserve it.
So, we’ve introduced the DofE Certificate of Achievement, available to any young person who has enrolled since 1 June 2018 and goes on to complete their Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections at Bronze, Silver or Gold before 31 December 2022.
We know lots of you will want to do your expedition and/or residential and achieve your DofE Award when possible under Government guidelines. Don’t worry, you can – read on for more information!
What is the DofE Certificate of Achievement?
It’s an official recognition, by the DofE, of just how much you’ve achieved by completing your Skills, Volunteering and Physical sections.
We’re introducing it to respond to this unprecedented situation, because we know some young people may not be able to do their expedition and/or residential and achieve their Award for some time because of the pandemic.
We think it’s important you receive something formal to celebrate and recognise the vital skills and qualities you’ve developed and the effort you’ve put in.
What’s the benefit of receiving a Certificate of Achievement?
Employers really value DofE Awards because they know how much dedication it takes to complete those four sections (or five at Gold). You deserve to have that hard work recognised.
They also know that your activities help you develop vital skills and character traits – like confidence, independence, team-working and problem-solving skills.
The expedition and residential are important parts of a DofE programme, and we’d encourage you to do yours if you get chance in coming months.
But, for those who might not have that chance, we want to make sure you’re formally recognised by the DofE for everything you’ve done.
If you go on to achieve your Award, that’s brilliant. But, if not, your DofE Certificate of Achievement on your CV or in your personal statement will act as a talking point, help you stand out and make sure your achievements are highlighted on applications and in interviews.
Who can receive a Certificate?
To receive your Certificate, you need to have:
– Started your Bronze, Silver or Gold DofE before 31 July 2018.
– Competed your Skills, Volunteering and Physical sections (but not your expedition) and had them signed off by your Leader before 31 December 2022 .
At Gold, you’ll receive the certificate if you’ve completed your Skills, Volunteering and Physical sections – it doesn’t matter if you have yet to complete your residential, expedition or both.
How do I receive my Certificate?
Once you’ve completed your three sections and had them signed off by your Leader on eDofE, you don’t need to do anything else. We’ll email your personalised Certificate to you, using the name and email address on your eDofE profile (so use eDofE or the DofE app to make sure they’re up to date).
What if I want to do my expedition and achieve my DofE Award later on?
If you’ve received your Certificate of Achievement, you can still go on to do your expedition and/or residential and achieve your Award.
If you’d like to, are able to and it’s safe to do so, we’d definitely encourage you to – it’s a fantastic, rewarding experience.
To help, we’ve introduced some temporary expedition rule changes to help your Leaders deliver ‘expeditions with a difference’ when Government guidelines allow.
And, if your situation’s changed, you could think about finishing your DofE at college or university, through an open centre, independently through DofE Direct or even through work, if your employer offers the DofE.
