Diploma for 14 to 19-year-olds
Back to Diploma in Manufacturing & Product Design news
3rd Mar 2010
Demands of Diploma make it a challenge for students
More students in Stoke are being encouraged to sign up for the second year of an exciting new qualification which will give them the chance to work with top companies in the manufacturing sector.
As part of Manufacturing Week (March 1-5), leading employers are urging budding young entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists and design specialists to find out more about the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD), which was introduced in Stoke last September.
The Diploma in MPD offers 14 to 19-year-olds the chance to work with leading manufacturing companies, and gain first-hand experience of working in industry, while developing skills in areas such as business, enterprise, engineering and product design.
A total of 18 students from Edensor Technology College and Thistley Hough High School have been taking the course this year. They have been able to work with the likes of Müller Dairy, Screwfix and Johnsons Tiles.
One group is also working with hotelware manufacturer Dudson Ltd and the Regent Theatre to produce a limited edition range of mugs – the first ever to be sold at the theatre. Students will design the surface pattern artwork, the packaging and the marketing materials for the mugs, which will then be manufactured by Dudson Ltd.
Will Potts, who is co-ordinating the Diploma in MPD at City of Stoke Sixth Form College said the demands of working with companies to industry standards have both stimulated and challenged the students.
“It is an excellent qualification and we are all committed to it,” said Mr Potts. “It is an intellectually demanding course. The students are learning as much about what it is like to run a business, selling and marketing products, as they do about the technical side and there is a lot of room for creativity. They really have to learn to think for themselves on projects and how to work together in teams. Students of the Diploma in MPD could go on to work in the sector, they have the potential to become managers, planners, marketing managers or buyers.”
The Diploma in MPD is now being rolled out in schools across East Staffordshire and Stafford, giving more students a chance to get involved.
Manufacturing Week is being organised by trade body the EEF. A series of events around the country promoting the sector will culminate on Friday with the publication of a manifesto outlining a strategy for putting the UK’s manufacturing industry at the heart of efforts to rebuild the economy, which will include careers promotion, education and training.
Nigel Fletcher, Education & Skills Adviser at the EEF, said: “There are a huge number of career opportunities at all levels within manufacturing, and young people should be given every encouragement to take advantage of them. The new Diploma in MPD is an important development, which will help many talented individuals get the skills they need to succeed in this sector. The demand from employers for better qualified staff means the rewards can be considerable for those who make the right choices.”
One of 14 new Diplomas for 14 to 19-year-olds developed to sit alongside GCSEs and A-Levels, the Diploma in MPD is designed to provide a solid foundation either for pursuing a career in industry or undertaking further qualifications. It is delivered by consortia, or partnerships, of local schools, colleges and employers, enabling students to divide their time between the classroom, college, and the workplace.
Employers, play a direct role by giving presentations in schools, hosting site visits, setting project topics, mentoring students and offering work placements. Their involvement is key to students getting a realistic insight into what manufacturing is all about.
For more information, visit the website for the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design, at http://www.manufacturingdiploma.co.uk/, or contact Staffordshire and Stoke Aim Higher at http://www.way2go.me.uk
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, sophie.mccandlish@nexnet.co.uk or joanne.mead@nexnet.co.uk
