10,000 sector diploma places made available

Education and skills secretary Alan Johnson and schools minister Jim Knight last week announced 10,000 places will be made available for new diplomas related to building services engineering (BSE).

From September 2008, there will be two types of diploma for the BSE sector; Engineering, with more than 6,000 places available for the first delivery, and Construction & the Built Environment, with almost 4,000 places.

Both diplomas have been driven by the industry’s skills requirements, developed in conjunction with employers. These new qualifications will ensure students of all abilities have an excellent grasp of English, maths and IT skills, whilst understanding how they relate to industry. Students will learn a range of skills, including practical, design and communications skills, as well as knowledge of health and safety and sustainability. A minimum of 10 days’ work experience will also provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge, while individual project work will encourage initiative.

The diplomas will allow students to progress to further study, university or workand students will be able to choose diplomas alongside GCSEs or A-levels, or in place of them.

Secretary of State for Education and Skills Alan Johnson said: “Diplomas will be an attractive and flexible option for young people. They are just one part of our plans to encourage more young people to stay in education and training. With fewer low-skilled jobs, we need more high-skilled young people. Diplomas will provide the missing link - creating the mix of vocational and academic education, which we’ve lacked for so long. Their introduction is one of the most radical educational developments taking place anywhere in the world and we are putting funding, energy and commitment into making them a reality.”

For more information about the Engineering diploma, visit www.engineeringdiploma.com For more information about the Construction and Built Environment diploma, visit www.cbediploma.co.uk