Diploma Support
Being involved with students taking the Diploma could help to reduce recruitment and staff turnover costs - and young people can enter the workforce with more relevant skills and an understanding of work.
Diplomas are different to GCSEs and A Levels as they are more related to the workplace. Students' learning takes place both in the classroom and in industry with professionals, gaining experience of the real world. Through this work experience, students directly find out about an area of work they're interested in and learn life skills that are important for work, study and the future.
Diploma facts:
- It is a new qualification for 14 -19 year olds to sit alongside the current GCSEs, A Levels and Apprenticeships - it is not a replacement
- Diplomas enable students to leave education with work-relevant skills, as well as English, maths and ICT
- There are three levels at which to study a Diploma - Foundation, Higher and Advanced
- There are up to 10 subjects to choose from in September 2009:
- - Construction and the Built Environment
- - Creative and Media
- - Engineering
- - Information Technology
- - Society, Health and Development
- - Environmental and Land-based Studies
- - Business, Administration and Finance
- - Manufacturing and Product Design
- - Hospitality
- - Hair and Beauty Studies
- - Public Services
- - Retail Business
- - Sport and Active Leisure
- - Travel and Tourism
- This will increase to 17 subjects by 2011, to include:
- - Travel and Tourism
- - Public Services
- - Sort and Active Leisure
- - Retail Business
- - Humanities
- - Languages
- - Science
What are Diplomas worth?
A Foundation Diploma is the same as 5 GCSEs at grades D - G
The Higher Diploma is the same as 7 GCSEs at grades A* - C
The Advanced Diploma is the same as 3.5 A Levels
A Progression Diploma is also available, equivalent to 2.5 A Levels
An Extended Diploma will be available in 2011, containing extra maths, English and Additional and Specialist Learning
The role of the Employer
Getting involved with the Diploma means that you can help make sure that young people get the skills you need from them. You can support the Diploma at a national or local level, and there are a variety of ways to help schools and colleges.
There are different levels of engagement, such as:
- Hosting work experience placements or site visits
- Teacher placements
- Sending staff into schools and colleges
- Supporting Enterprise activities
- Setting challenges/writing projects
- Producing real life case studies
- Becoming actively involved in the schemes of work.
The benefits
As an employer, the new Diploma gives you:
- Better prepared, more knowledgeable young people as employees
- A more effective way to recruit for the future
- Another avenue of staff development through talks and support for young people
- The opportunity to help young people develop work-relevant skills and an understanding of how businesses operate
Can your organisation support the education development of the future STEM skill base? If you are interested then please contact STEM Sussex.
