Who: Amey and Duke of Edinburgh Business

Objective: A gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is held in such high regard that many businesses use it as a measure of employability. Duke of Edinburgh Business is a development programme for young employees. It partners with businesses such as Amey, British Gas and DFS, to develop employees’ key skills and aid productivity in the workplace while having a positive impact on the wider community.

Strategy: While training at the Amey Apprenticeship Academy, all young Amey engineers undertake a gold DofE programme. The DofE helps bring out the distinctive characteristics of hard work, leadership and teamwork that Amey, a UK-based infrastructure support service provider, says are key to its business. DofE Business also helps develop confidence, customer service skills, responsibility and commitment in employees.

Rationale: The businesses involved grow the value of their employees, improve company culture and attract better talent while having a positive impact on the wider community. Mel Ewell, CEO at Amey plc, says, “We’ve been supporting DofE for over 13 years because we believe that the programme makes a real difference to the lives and prospects of young people across the UK, providing the skills and experience that many employers look for. As an organisation, Amey believes so strongly in the DofE that the company guarantees an interview to anyone with a DofE Gold Award on their CV, who meets 70% of the skills needed for the role.”