English, Maths and IT is the cornerstone of a new diploma that promises to deliver the right skills for the construction industry.
Schools Minister Jim Knight announced last week that 8,336 more places will be available on the new Construction and Built Environment (C&BE) diploma from September 2009 to help employers get the skilled workforce they desire.
This figure comes in addition to the first wave of C&BE diploma students who will take up 4,000 places in September 2008.
The new qualification will ensure students have an excellent grasp of the three R's -reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as IT skills, whilst understanding how they relate to the industry.
It is hoped it will open up the construction and the built environment industries to more young people and ensure a better and bigger pool of new recruits.
During the C&BE Diploma’s design, six sector skills councils from the Skills for Business network collaborated on the C&BE Diploma.
These included ConstructionSkills and Summit Skills (representing building services engineering, electrotechnical, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and plumbing).
The new diploma for 14-19 year olds in England combines theoretical and practical learning with a minimum of 10 days' work experience. By 2011, the new qualification will be available in 17 subject areas.
The government hope the diploma will become adopted in all schools as a valuable foundation course that offers good grounding for a career, a route to university and further education including NVQ training. The diploma does not replace NVQs. Diplomas give students an insight into particular industry sectors but those taking a construction diploma are not restricted in career choice.
There are three levels of diploma - Foundation, Higher and Advanced. A foundation diploma is worth five GCSEs grades D to G; a higher diploma is worth seven GCSEs grades A* to C; and an advanced diploma is worth three-and-a-half A levels.
Only approved schools, colleges, training providers and employers are offering the C&BE diploma. Around half of all universities will be working with schools to teach diplomas on different subjects from 2009 and will have good links to employers.
Jim Knight said: 'We are confident that young people who take a diploma will have a high quality experience as they work towards their qualification'.
Nick Gooderson, head of Qualification and Standards at ConstructionSkills said: 'The diploma has enabled us for the first time to work closely with schools and colleges to show pupils that the industry is not just brick laying and carpentry.
'We are delighted with the extra places available and welcome the additional 8,000 potential candidates to the construction and the built environment industry'.