BE #WORLDREADY

Our CEO, Professor Graham Shapiro recently featured in a short film supporting The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

Whilst formal results and in-classroom learning inevitably contribute to future opportunities, many educators, policy makers, leaders and parents are now asking what other attributes young people need to be ready for the world of work of today and tomorrow.

Non-formal education, such as that offered by The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has been heralded for helping to develop those ‘soft’ skills – or ‘core skills’ or ‘universal’ skills, as the Award would prefer them to be called – which so many are now seeking.

Our CEO, Professor Graham Shapiro featured in a short film supporting this recently. He commented:

“My admiration for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is strong and long-standing. I was therefore honoured and delighted to be invited to show my support by contributing to a short film outlining the impact and far-reaching repercussions of their work.

The vision, scale and scope of this outstanding programme of activities helps prepare young people for the future and after all, that’s where they are going to spend the rest of their lives. So, imparting life skills such as leadership, building relationships and communication help to inspire other qualities, such as trust and self-confidence. These are skills they will need to successfully navigate the twenty-first century and beyond.

It is my firm view and one that I know is shared by other business leaders, that The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has life enhancing qualities and builds inner strength. This in turn, is empowering and engenders the stand-out features required to differentiate young people to find their purpose in an increasingly challenging and competitive world.”

More information

Related articles

2026 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Professor Graham Shapiro, founder of GSD® and Reggie® Firedrill, has been named a finalist in the 2026 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, shortlisted in the Technology Entrepreneur of the Year category.

University of Leeds Renews GSD® Contract to 2029

The University of Leeds has renewed it’s digital supplier contract with Graham Shapiro Design until 2029.

Dual ISO Certification Milestone

Graham Shapiro Design (GSD®) is proud to announce that we have successfully passed and retained both ISO14001 and ISO27001 certifications, reinforcing our commitment to environmental responsibility and information security excellence.

New client partnerships spanning education, sport and finance sectors

Graham Shapiro Design Celebrates it's 30th Anniversary with a roster of new client partnerships spanning education, sport and finance sectors.