The Diplomas

What is a Diploma?

Diplomas are new qualifications for 14 to 19 year olds, which help prepare them in an innovative and exciting way for university or employment.

All Diploma students study English, Maths and ICT alongside their chosen discipline. They do an extended project, specialist learning in a related subject and at least ten days work experience.

Diplomas are avaliable at three levels....

• Foundation (equivalent to five GCSEs)
• Higher (equivalent to seven GCSEs)
• Advanced (equivalent to three and a half A Levels)

From September 2008

• Construction and the Built Environment
• Creative and Media
• Engineering
• IT
• Society, Health and Development

From September 2009

• Business, Administration and Finance
• Environmental and Land-Based Studies
• Hair and Beauty Studies
• Hospitality
• Manufacturing and Product Design

From September 2010

• Public Services
• Retail
• Sport and Leisure
• Travel and Tourism

From September 2011

• Science
• Languages
• Humanities

Why should you get involved?

There has never been a better time for employers of all sizes to get involved in education. Diplomas will help give you better prepared and more knowledgeable young employees with those universal skills that all employers seek, problem-solve, communicate, work independently, and how to work as part of a team.

And because young people will have business world insight, they will make the right career decisions so you can have confidence in recruiting them and in their willingness to learn.

Diplomas are about real life context, so it is essential that employers get involved.

How can you get involved?

There are many ways that Diploma students can benefit from what you have to offer:

• Help design curriculum at a national level
• Give talks and lectures to enrich the curriculum with real business materials
• Set actual business problems for students to solve in their projects
• Provide resources, equipment and use of premises
• Offer work experience placements for students and work shadowing for teachers

First Partnership are supporting the 14 to 19 Consotrium of schools and colleges in the following areas:

• Rushmoor & Hart who are offering the IT Diploma from September 2008 and the Construction and Built Environment from September 2009.
• East Hampshire who are offering Creative & Media and Engineering and Information Technology from September 2009.
• Andover & District who are offering Creative & Media as well s Environmental and Land Based Studies from September 2009.

Further Diploma lines will be run in these areas by September 2010. To find out more please contact the First Partnership office.