New providers move The Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment closer to nationwide availability

Schools Minister Jim Knight announced today (6th April 2009)  that 57 new consortia – groups of employers, schools, colleges and training providers – have been given the green light to offer places on the Diploma in Construction and Built Environment (C&BE) from September 2010. This is in addition to the 44 consortia currently delivering the Diploma and the 86 due to start this September. This means that, from September 2010, young people in almost 80 per cent of English Local Authority areas will have the option to study the Diploma and get their first taste of the industry.

The announcement accompanies the news from ConstructionSkills that the number of employers pledging their support for the qualification has now reached 1,150.  

The Diploma in C&BE launched six months ago. It was developed in partnership with employers and enables young people to develop the skills employers require and ensures that they are better prepared for the working world. It combines practical skills development with theoretical and technical knowledge and means that, for the first time, the sector is represented within the mainstream national curriculum, giving the industry access to a new pool of potential young recruits.

The qualification ensures students have an excellent grasp of English, maths and IT skills, whilst understanding how they relate to the construction and built environment sectors. Students learn a range of skills, from understanding the importance of health and safety issues to management challenges involved in construction. A minimum of 10 days’ work experience provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge, while individual project work encourages initiative.

Employers – including Wates, Balfour Beatty, Lovell, Seddon Group, Rok, CB&I, Kier Group and Bovis Lend Lease – are helping to deliver the Diploma in a variety of ways, from hosting work experience placements to designing realistic work-related projects that teachers can use to bring the curriculum to life.

Schools and colleges had to pass through a rigorous application process in order to be given the go-ahead and only those able to demonstrate their ability to provide the highest quality courses were successful. All English universities have now accepted the Advanced Diploma, which is equivalent to 3.5 A-levels grades A*-E, as an accredited route into higher education. All of the successful consortia have demonstrated good links with local employers – something which is crucial to the success of the qualification.

Commenting on the Diploma in C&BE, Schools Minister Jim Knight said:

“I am extremely pleased that so many schools and colleges have been given the go ahead to teach the Diploma in C&BE. The qualification is an exciting new choice for young people, which will help students to gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed at university or in the career of their choice. “

Nick Gooderson, Head of Qualifications and Standards at ConstructionSkills said:

“We are delighted that the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment has continued its successful rollout across England with a total of 187 consortia now on board. The Diploma has been designed by employers for employers so that young people are better prepared for work and its implementation across the country will help ensure young people learn the skills they need. 

“As the Diploma grows we will need more and more employers to make it a success and we urge any organisations not yet taking advantage of this unique opportunity to join the 1,150 businesses already working with tomorrow’s workforce.”

Chris Simpson, Education Liaison Adviser at Wates said:

“We anticipate that working with the Diploma in C&BE will ultimately provide us with well-rounded new recruits who have the right mix of general employment skills and broad sector knowledge. The Diploma helps young people understand our sector and gives them the skills that will help them to work in a wide range of careers.

“It is great news that more young people will soon be able to gain an understanding of the range of professional roles available in construction. The Diploma will provide a new lease of life to the sector.”

Further details about the Diploma in Construction and The Built Environment can be found at www.cbediploma.co.uk. 

-ENDS-

For more information contact

Andrew Mabey on 0300 456 5407, andrew.mabey@cskills.org or

Quinton Drawbridge on 020 7612 8867, quinton.drawbridge@kindredagency.com    

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
Details of the successful consortia can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19.

 About the Diploma in C&BE

• The Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE) has been developed by the Diploma Development Partnership (DDP) made up of ConstructionSkills, Summit Skills, Asset Skills, Proskills, Energy & Utility skills and the ECITB
• The 14-19 reforms are designed to encourage more young people to continue learning for longer and gain the qualifications they need to progress into further and higher education or employment.
• Central to the reforms is the Diploma, a new qualification for 14 – 19 year olds in England that combines theoretical and practical learning. By 2011 it will be available in 17 subject areas. 
• Five Diploma subjects have been taught since September 2008 in Construction and the Built; Environment; Creative and Media; Engineering; Information Technology; and Society, Health and Development. In September 2009, these will be joined by a further five disciplines: Business, Administration and Finance; Environmental and Land-based Studies; Hair and Beauty Studies; Hospitality; and Manufacturing and Product Design. Five consortia have been approved to deliver all 10 Diploma lines: Barnsley, Kingswood, Plymouth, Sunderland and Wolverhampton. 
• The Diploma will contain three Functional Skills qualifications. This will ensure that young people secure the right foundation of English, Maths and IT skills needed for progression into employment.
• The application process for Diploma delivery is known as the Gateway. Results from Gateway 1 were announced in April 2007. The 144 consortia approved through Gateway 1 are now teaching the first five Diplomas. 
• There are three levels of Diploma - Foundation, Higher and Advanced. The Foundation Diploma is equivalent to five GCSEs grade D-G; the Higher Diploma is equivalent to seven GCSEs grade A*-C; the advanced Diploma is equivalent to three and a half A-Levels grade A*- E.
• From 2011 students will be able to study an Extended Diploma, which will be worth four-and-a-half A-levels. This has been designed to recognise larger programmes of learning.

About ConstructionSkills

ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the construction industry. As a partnership between CITB-ConstructionSkills, CIC and CITB Northern Ireland, we are UK-wide and represent the whole industry from professional consultancies to major contractors and SMEs.

Established as an SSC in 2003, ConstructionSkills is working to deliver a safe, professional and fully qualified construction workforce through the industry’s Sector Skills Agreement. We are responsible for raising employer engagement in training, implementing industry-led skills solutions, securing appropriate funding, producing labour market data, and developing standards and qualifications that meet employer needs.

ConstructionSkills is a well run and high performing Sector Skills Council, supporting a sector which is central to the UK economy, generating over 8% of GDP and a turnover of more than £210bn a year. ConstructionSkills is helping construction employers during the downturn and working to maintain skills so the industry can respond when the upturn begins.