Diploma News

LJ Create Launch EngineeringDiploma.Net Magazine

LJ Create are pleased to have completed and distributed our first edition of our EngineeringDiploma.Net magazine.

This new publication, like our Engineering Diploma Community Site, aims to allow Consortia to share their experiences of delivering the Diploma together with examples of best practice.

See "Engineering Diploma News" for the whole story. You can download a copy of the magazine from the EngineeringDiploma.net site or order a paper copy.

Practical Electronics Delivers Electric Results

Staff from the South West Herts Engineering Diploma Consortium, from the College of West Herts and St Clement Danes High School, are overjoyed with their Engineering Diploma students’ recent level of achievement.

See "Practical Electronics Delivers Electric Results" in LJ Create News for the whole story.

New teaching resources for supporting delivery of Level 3 of the Engineering Diploma.

In response to customers requests, LJ Create have developed a new range of resources for the Engineering Diploma to help with the delivery of Units 4, 5 and 9 at Level 3.

See the LJ Create's Engineering Diploma Level 3 product page for information.

Students steal the show at the National Delivering Diplomas Conference

LJ Create were at the Sixth National Delivering Diplomas Conference, where the students of Hanham High School in South Gloucestershire stole the show. The Diploma pioneers travelled to Birmingham for the event on March 18, with their deputy headteacher Phil Bevan, and were given a stand in the conference’s exhibition area to show off their Diploma work.

Two of the group even joined Teresa Bergin, the Qualification and Curriculum Development Agency’s Diplomas chief, on stage during her opening address to the conference to talk about their studies so far.

See the EngineeringDiploma.net website for the full story.

The 14-19 Engineering Diploma is a big hit with the girls!

Students from Newstead Wood, a selective school for girls in London are really enthusiastic about the Engineering Diploma.

20 female students from Newstead Wood in Bromley, South London are currently taking the Engineering Diploma and are enjoying it. They even continue working through their lunchbreaks!

"You do a wide range of things, you go to college and work with machinery. It's so challenging, working things out for yourself," says Jessica Salisbury, 16.

Bethany Hall, 15, agrees. "You work in such different ways," she says. "For one assessment we had to look at how a torch works and take it apart, and then design a torch for a teacher going camping."

Jenny Wright, the school's head of engineering, says: "Students learn through practical approaches, the content is varied, they get to work in teams and solve problems. It's also very challenging, which is important for them."

Andy Colegate, the engineering technical manager who teaches one unit of the course, adds: "It turns out practical and competent students. It's not a wishy-washy qualification or an easy option. As an engineer myself, I think it is a really positive thing for the profession."

See the Independent for the full story.

More Than One Way to Rap Up Diplomas

Students from Norwich have featured alongside rap artist Kano in the new Diplomas advert.

The new 14-19 Diplomas advert, titled "More than one way", was produced using behind the scenes footage of Kano and diploma students who were all involved with the making of Kano's latest video - "Grime". All the students are part of the "Norwich Open Opportunity Consortium".

See the Norwich Evening News for the full story.

UK Engineering Up

UK undergraduate admissions rise in physics and engineering programmes.

The number of students starting undergraduate engineering courses at UK colleges and universities in 2009 is way above last year's figures, according to a report issued by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), which has been tracking these numbers since 1993.

Aerospace engineering admissions rose by 20.7% to 2,016; mechanical by almost 12% to 5,757; electronic/electrical by 3.7% to 4,654; and civil by 3.2% to 4,432. Admissions to undergraduate physics programmes rose by 7% to 3,559. UCAS had earlier reported that applications for admission in all programmes were up for the year by 9.7% over 2008 numbers.

This article is featured in the Nature International Weekly Journal of Science.

QCDA Launches The Diploma Validator

The QCDA has developed a new online tool which can be used in conjunction with the Learner Study Plan to check that every Diploma student is following a valid programme of study.

The tool, known as the Diploma Validator, is designed for use by curriculum planners in Diploma home centres. It has been launched by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) and can be accessed at www.qcda.gov.uk/diplomavalidator.

The Diploma Validator has been recommended for Diploma completers in Advanced IT, Higher IT and BAF Foundation who complete in summer 2010.  The tool has also been recommended for those delivering Engineering, Creative and Media, IT, Hair and Beauty Studies to ensure you have available options for student who began programmes in Sept 2009.

There is further information about the tool on the QCDA website at www.qcda.gov.uk/diploma.

Bassetlaw 14-19 Reach for the Sky

The Bassetlaw 14–19 Consortium has developed an exciting project to support the delivery of the Engineering Diploma in the North Nottinghamshire area, called ‘Reach for the Sky’.

The project uses real world experience of engineering within a local airport, alongside the latest Engineering eLearning educational resources, to produce a solution to teaching the Engineering diploma.

Read the full story.

First year of Diploma in Engineering hailed a success

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reports that the first year of teaching the Diploma in Engineering has been highly engaging. Engineering departments within universities are recognising that the Diploma includes challenging content and provides a good foundation for a university path.

The report, Transforming Engineering Education, published this September, praised the Diploma for making engineering available within the mainstream curriculum. According to Nigel Fine, Chief Executive of the IET, engineering tends to be "treated as an extracurricular activity with the result that students assimilate very limited knowledge of the subject". Fine says that the Diploma will "raise levels of understanding and interest in engineering, by placing engineering at the very heart of the curriculum for the first time."

You can download a copy of this report from the IET website.

Additional Funding for the Diploma

From September 2009, consortia will be able to apply for funding to undertake a development project linked to the promotion of innovative practice.

The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) is keen to promote and support consortia to develop and share innovative next practice linked to the Diploma. To make this happen they have made some money available to support development projects.

Consortia can apply for up to £10,000 to run a development project, there will also be additional funding to cover the time for the project leader.

To find out more about this funding please visit the LSIS Diploma Support website.

The National Delivering Diplomas Awards 2010
Now open for entries from Phase 1 and 2 consortia.

The inaugural Delivering Diplomas Awards are now open for entries. This celebration of innovation, best practice and achievement in Diploma delivery is open to all consortia members involved in delivering Diplomas and to those who are delivering from September 2009.

The Awards, supported exclusively by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, will be held at the prestigious Landmark Hotel in London on Friday, March 26, 2010. As well as presentations from a number of high profile educationalists, the event will also provide a great chance to network and swap ideas.

Consortia are invited to nominate in five categories:

• Consortium of the Year
• Teacher or Lecturer of the Year
• Student of the Year
• Exam Officer of the Year
• Employer of the Year

To find out more and enter your nominations, please go to the
Delivering Diplomas website.

You can also download a letter to send to your colleagues (pdf)

Top Tips for Delivery Success

The DCSF asked leading consortia and LAs, workforce partners, Consortium Advisers, Regional Advisers, and others already involved in delivering Diplomas to share their top tips to help your Diploma delivery go well in September.

The responses have been pulled together to form the list of Top Tips for Delivery Success and should help you as you continue to plan, and begin to deliver Diplomas.

Diplomas seen as excellent preparation
for higher education.

Schools Minister, Iain Wright, has welcomed research showing that top universities overwhelmingly back the Diploma.

Mr Wright stated "This report shows that universities strongly support the Diploma and view it as excellent preparation for higher education. Top universities value the combination of theoretical learning and hands on experience that the Diploma offers".

To read the article in full, please visit the DCSF website

Set of the latest Diploma marketing materials now available from the DCSF

The updated materials have been sent to schools and colleges, consortia, 14-19 leads in local authorities, and Connexions partnerships.

Also in the set is the Diploma Marketing Toolkit, which offers a range of materials that will allow those delivering the Diploma, and other partners, to produce marketing and publicity packs tailored to meet local needs and audiences.

To download the materials please go to the DCSF 14-19 Website

Sign up to a Diploma conference

Those interested in the Diploma are being encouraged to sign up for a conference in Birmingham on 1 October 2009.

Delivering Diplomas: Engagement and collaboration, organised by magazine SecEd and sponsored by QCA, will offer crucial, practical advice to all those involved in the Diploma.

QCA's Teresa Bergin will be speaking at the event, alongside representatives from FE, secondary schools, employers and students. Informal workshops will also be held on the day, giving delegates the chance to find answers to their questions in an informal setting.

LJ Create will be exhibiting at this event, showcasing their new Electronics programme specifically design for the new Engineering Diploma.

Find out more and book your place. Use the form or quote "LJ Create" to get 20% off the price of the conference

LJ Create proudly announce their new Diploma Electronics Programme

Could school diplomas be the way to rekindle your child’s love of learning?

Diplomas are the government’s idea to join up academic and vocational learning, stop children getting bored of school and address complaints from employers that education isn’t relevant to the work place.

Coventry is one of the first places to try the new Engineering Diploma. There’s a sense of excitement among pupils at the work benches at Barrs Hill School as they get to grips with using machine tools.

To read the article in full, please visit the Coventry Telegraph website.

Most Degree Courses Take Diplomas

Four fifths of university courses will accept English 14-19 Diplomas as an entry route, the admissions service says. The government said the acceptance was testament to the high quality of the Diplomas and the skills they provide.

To read the article in full, please visit the BBC News website.

Extra Funding To Guarantee Every Young Person a Place For Post-16 Learning

Every young person who wants to study or to take up training will have their place guaranteed by the Government, thanks to a £655 million funding announcement in the April Budget.

To read the article in full, please visit the DCSF website.

£50m For Expansion As Diplomas Reach ‘Tipping Point’

New figures show that over 97 percent of local authorities will be offering the new Diplomas by September 2010. To support the expansion of the Diploma programme Jim Knight has mapped out £50million in new investment, to provide local areas with the set-up costs they need to deliver the qualifications.

To read the article in full, please visit the DCSF website.

The results of Gateway 3 are now available.

Again, consortia have shown that they have made great progress in their preparations to deliver the Diploma. A total of 314 consortia (groups of schools, colleges and training providers) have been approved to offer Diploma courses from September 2010.

To read the article in full, please visit the DCSF website.

Kirklees offer Engineering

Schools and Colleges in Kirlees have joined the increasing number of schools across England that offer the new Engineering Diploma.

Kirklees will offer seven diploma choices from September, including the new Diploma in Engineering, as an alternative to the conventional GCSEs and A'Levels. They added the diplomas to their list of options because of the combination of traditional and practical learning that the diplomas provide students with.

To read the article in full, please visit the "Huddersfield Daily Examiner" website.

Engineering Diploma students taught by the RAF

Students working towards the new 14-19 diploma in Engineering were treated to a new Royal Air Force maintenance training module in the beginning of March.

The students from schools in the Wolverhampton area spent two days at the RAF Shawbury and the Assault Glider Trust base conducting specialist engineering tasks that will compliment the general engineering skills learnt in their schools.

To read the article in full, please visit the "Whitchurch Herald" website.

Diplomas Better Than GCSEs and A'Levels?

According to the Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners, the conventional GCSEs and A'Levels are not preparing students for a working life and the new diplomas should be the "qualification of choice".

Sarah McCarhy-Fry MP told an FT interviewer that the diploma "replicates what happens in the business world" and would "enable young people to be ready for the world of work", but GCSEs and A'Levels "don't nessarily in themsleves create someone that they would want to employ".

To read the article in full, please visit the "Financial Times" website.

Swindon College Opens New Learning Centre

LJ Create resources have been featured in a video celebrating the opening of Swindon’s new £1.3m Engineering and Construction Diploma partnership centre. The centre, opened on the 28th January 2009 “Is the first of its kind in Swindon – a genuine partnership centre where specialist resources are pooled for collaborative teaching of specialised Diplomas which will offer a huge skills base in the local economy” - Chris Walton, 14-19 co-ordinator.

To read more on this article, please visit the "Swindon on the Web" website.

Capital funding - Diploma exemplar projects

Following a very competitive assessment process, during which over 200 proposals were assessed according to the criteria published last autumn, the DCSF has announced a shortlist of proposals for exemplar projects, with the final list being announced at the beginning of April 2009.

To read more on this article, please visit the DCSF website.

Oxbridge Universities to accept Engineering Diploma

Oxford and Cambridge universities have announced that they will both accept the Level 3 Diploma in Engineering as an entrance qualification to their engineering degree courses.

These universities join a large number of other British universities that recognise the new diploma as a suitable alternative to conventional A' Levels.

See the BBC News website for further information.

Gateway 1 Engineering Diploma Conferences

The Royal Academy of Engineering and Working with Others held two special conferences for gateway one teachers and lecturers. These were held in London on the 25th November 2008 and in Aston on the 5th December 2008. LJ Create led practical workshops on how to use Engineering Diploma resources.

Visit the Working with Others website for further information.

Engineering open day in Loughborough

Students from South Wigston High School, Abington High School and Bushloe High School were invited to experience Engineering activities at Loughborough University. More...

£23 MILLION BOOST TO RURAL PLANS TO SUPPORT THE DIPLOMA ANNOUNCED

Ministers announced a £23 million cash injection to help rural areas put in place plans to ensure all young people can benefit from the exciting new opportunities offered by the Diploma.

Read story on DCFS web site ...

See LJ Create's solution for rural schools ...

Castle College Highfields

On Wednesday 25 June, 2008, His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent KG KCVO officially opened the new £14 million Castle College Highfields Automotive & Engineering Training Centre and Toyota Academy. More...

Aberdeen College

According to Aberdeen College Curriculum Manager, Kevin Nicolson, their state of the art Autolab facility provides an environment where students of all abilities will succeed. More...

Northfleet Technology College

Northfleet Technology College has worked in partnership with LJ Create and the Vocational Education team at Kent County Council in the management of 'The Thames Gateway Project' initiative. More...

The Academy at Peckham

Academy at Peckham students are getting the chance to explore alternative career pathways that will lead to employment in recognised areas of skills shortages. More...

Eastleigh Consortium, Hampshire

The Eastleigh Consortium acquired our integrated engineering programme to support their pilot of the 14-19 Engineering Diploma in 2008. More...