Diploma for 14 to 19-year-olds
Back to Diploma in Manufacturing & Product Design news
10th Jun 2009
Diploma brings new vocational learning to schools
A new qualification will allow 14 to 19 year olds to study vocational courses in a wide range of manufacturing disciplines while still in school and college.
The Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD), which is being introduced in 28 areas around 
England from September, will allow students to gain accredited qualifications in disciplines ranging from computer aided design (CAD) and engineering to furniture making and food safety as an alternative to studying GCSEs or A-Levels.
England from September, will allow students to gain accredited qualifications in disciplines ranging from computer aided design (CAD) and engineering to furniture making and food safety as an alternative to studying GCSEs or A-Levels.The choice of qualifications, known as Additional and Specialist Learning (ASL), has recently been released ahead of launch and is intended to complement the study of core principles relevant to all manufacturing sectors by offering clear progression routes into the industry.
Derek Jones, who has led the development of the Diploma in MPD on behalf of food and drink sector skills council Improve, said: “The Diploma in MPD is a response to the long-standing complaint from industry that young people are leaving education without the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace.
“Its main purpose is to give young people a sound understanding of what manufacturing is in an applied, real-life context. The core topics cover product design, materials science, production systems and business and management, and it also pays close attention to ‘employability’ skills like communication, numeracy and ICT, as well as ‘soft’ skills such as critical thinking and team work.
“But the intention is also to give students an education they can actually use, which will stand them in good stead in the workplace. So the ASL requirement has been developed to allow students to pick from a wide range of existing, recognised qualifications, be it something specific to a particular sector or to a particular manufacturing theme, or on a different topic altogether, for example a modern language, which could be useful to them.
"This offers students the widest possible choice of future paths, preparing them for further academic study in college or university, but and giving them the chance to gain qualifications that will be recognised in the workplace if they choose to seek a job or further vocational training through an Apprenticeship or similar.”
The Diploma in MPD has been developed by employers working with the five manufacturing sector skills councils – Improve, Cogent, Skillfast-UK, Semta, Proskills. Employers will play a central role in its delivery, working as part of consortia, or partnerships, with school and colleges. Their role will range from offering work placements to assisting with project topics to assisting with teachers’ Continuing Professional Development.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for employers to shape the education of the next generation of workers,” added Mr Jones. “Not only is this putting manufacturing right at the heart of mainstream education, it is mirroring the way companies train and develop staff in the workplace and giving young people practical skills they require in the workplace.”
The ASL list includes a range of BTECs in Engineering, including specialised pathways in manufacturing, applied science, operations and maintenance and electrical and mechanical, City & Guilds qualifications in food manufacture, print and furniture production, and ABC awards and certificates in craft bakery and fashion and textiles. The catalogue of ASL options will be added to and adapted over time to reflect changes in vocational qualifications and training.
For a full guide to the ASL options available, visit the website for the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design, at http://www.manufacturingdiploma.co.uk/.
Ends
Issued on behalf of the Manufacturing Diploma Development Partnership, by Nexnet PR, Leeds, www.nexnet.co.uk. For further information call Nexnet on 0113 247 0029 or email paul.newham@nexnet.co.uk.