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Introduction Diplomas - Why? Diploma Levels Delivery Gateway Work Experience Whats in it for you Timescales Useful Links Glossary FAQ

Diplomas - For Industry Stakeholders, including Professional Bodies and Trade Assocations

Introduction

The Engineering Diploma will provide many young people with a first chance to find out about engineering without committing to a specific career.  The future of our engineering industry could depend upon the success of the Diploma in attracting and providing a strong educational foundation for the engineers of the future.  These new qualifications provide an opportunity for students of all ability levels to:

• find out about the breadth of careers available within engineering;
• explore the role of engineering in society and in their future;
• have a go’ through applied learning; and
• develop wider skills valued by employers, further education colleges and universities - including communication, mathematics and IT skills.    

For young people who aspire to professional status the level 3 Diploma will provide a unique industry related route into higher education or first step towards industry employment. 

Diploma levels

14-19 Diplomas are available at three levels:

• The Advanced Diploma is designed for sixth formers and college students who would like an industry related alternative to A’ levels which can help them secure a place in university or in employment.  The Advanced Diploma is being developed with significant input from university lecturers to ensure that the qualification will provide learners with the knowledge and skills they expect students to have when entering engineering (and other) degree courses.  A key consequence of this input is that students completing a Advanced Diploma in Engineering will be able to dedicate similar time to study of maths and science to those who complete a maths A’ level and a science A’ level, with the advantage that they learn how to apply maths and science to engineering.  The brightest students may be able to complete one or two A or A/S levels alongside the Advanced Diploma.
• The Higher Diploma is a GCSE level qualification for those wanting to learn more about engineering whether or not they have completed a Level 1 Diploma
• The Foundation Diploma is introductory and designed for those students who want to learn about engineering but do not feel confident progressing straight to a level 2 qualification.  The possibility of enabling year 9 students to complete ‘taster’ elements of the Foundation Diploma is being considered.

Additionally there will be a Level 3 Progression Diploma.  The Progression Diploma is designed for the minority of students who aspire to a Level 3 qualification but are unable to complete a full Advanced, perhaps because of restrictions on the time they have available for studying.   The Progression Award will be given to learners who complete all the Principle Learning and Generic Learning within the Advanced Diploma and is broadly equivalent in size to 2 A’ levels.  The Progression Diploma will not give students the opportunity to complete Specialised units or Additional units.

Why and how should I be involved?

There are a number of ways you can support the Diploma, many of which will help promote your sector to future generations of engineers:

• providing speakers to schools and colleges (either directly or by encouraging engineers to visit schools);
• mentioning the Diplomas as a route to entry in careers literature and on your website;
• participating in the Level 3 Group during the development of Diploma content (for more information contact Karen Neal);
• raising awareness and understanding of the Diploma amongst your members and other stakeholders;
• setting real engineering problems for students to address in their extended project.

Further information

Details of partnerships of schools and colleges which will be delivering the Diploma from 2008 or 2009 are available on the Gateway pages.

Other information available on this website includes guidance on work related learning, project timescales, and the diploma content specification. 

If you want to find out more register for updates or contact Karen Neal.  Alternatively visit the links page for more contacts (including details of Sector Skills Councils involved in development of the Diploma) and sources of information.