What are these new Diplomas?

Diplomas are innovative new qualifications for 14-19 year olds being introduced from September 2008. They are being primarily developed by employers (via the Sector Skills Councils) to provide a real alternative to more traditional education and qualifications and are the most important change to the education system for some time.

The Diplomas aim to offer an all-round package which give students the right knowledge, experience, insight and attitude to prepare them for the next stage of life. They are to be offered at three levels and will normally take two years to complete:

• Level 1 equivalent to 4-5 GCSEs at grade D to G

• Level 2 equivalent to 5-6 GCSEs at grade A* to C

• Level 3 equivalent to 3 A levels

It is aimed that all young people will be able to access the Diploma of their interest even if it is not provided at their school and therefore schools are currently forming 14-19 partnerships to drive this forward.

What's this to do with me?

All the Diplomas are being written to ensure that students get an excellent grounding in English, maths, IT user skills and personal learning and thinking skills. In addition a project will help develop students’ ability for independent work, and will rely on employer engagement.

The timetable for the introduction of the Diplomas is:

From 2007	Development and planning, involving employers
From September 2008	Construction & the Built Environment	Creative & Media	Engineering	Society, Health & Development	IT
From September 2009	Land Based & Environmental Studies	Manufacturing	Hair & Beauty	Business Admin & Finance	Hospitality & Catering
From September 2010	Public Services	Sport & Leisure	Retail	Travel & Tourism	Science (to be confirmed)