Manufacturing Diploma

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the diploma for manufacturing and product design?
It’s an entirely new type of qualification, which will allow young people to learn about manufacturing and product design in an applied context, preparing them for the world of work. This is intended to inspire young people and encourage them to consider a career in manufacturing.

Who can do it?
Anyone aged between 14 and 19.

Can a diploma student be at FE college, or do they have to be school pupils?
The diploma is available for school pupils, and is also open to students who have left school at 16 and are now studying at FE college.

What if I want one of my employees to complete a diploma? Can they do it at night school or on the internet?
No – the diploma is for students who are fully enrolled at school or college. The diploma is designed to help prepare young people for the world of work. Those already in work would benefit from other training programmes and qualifications, such as Apprenticeships or NVQs.

What’s it worth?
The foundation level diploma is equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade C-G; the higher level to 7 GCSEs grade A*C; and the advanced level to 3.5 A-Levels grade A* E.

Can you study the higher or advanced levels without first getting the levels below?
Yes you can – students will be able to switch between different types of qualification. Some may choose to take a Higher Diploma from 14 to 16, then do A-levels or an Apprenticeship, or they might do GCSEs, then start an Advanced Diploma at 16.

Isn’t this the so-called ‘McA-Levels’ that just provides undeserved government funding for rich companies to have their own qualifications?
McDonalds has been given status as an awarding body, which means staff can be awarded nationally accredited qualifications through in-house training. This is possible through the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), which allows employees to gather units of learning to make up a full qualification. The new diplomas don’t form part of the QCF, so will not be offered to employees through in-house training schemes.

Isn’t this the beginning of the end of the A-Level ‘gold standard’ in English education?
Not at all. The diploma bridges the historic gap between academic and vocational options – it provides the best of both worlds. The diploma isn’t intended to replace any existing qualifications – rather to provide additional options for young people, in order to encourage more youngsters to learn relevant skills that will help them pursue a rewarding career.

When will it be available?
The Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design will available for teaching from September 2009.

What exactly will it teach?
The principal learning is structured around three themes – business and enterprise; product design and materials science; and production systems. It is compulsory for students to take modules in all three topics at each level.

Foundation level is aimed at school pupils aged 14 to 16, who will learn an introduction to general manufacturing and working processes, while pupils studying at the higher level will choose from modules such as running a manufacturing business, the global business world, and designing and developing products. The advanced level diploma, for students aged 17 to 19, will cover business principles, materials science, supply-chain management and research and development.

At all levels, learners will have the choice of optional modules focusing on a specific manufacturing sector, including textiles, food and drink, chemicals, polymers, printing, and process manufacturing. Alternatively, pupils can choose extra modules that concentrate on more specialised knowledge relevant to the three core topics. A minimum of ten days work experience is mandatory at each level.

Students will continue to learn key skills at all levels, including Maths, English and Information and Communications technology (ICT), as well as personal skills such as team working and self-management.

What will it lead to?
The diploma is ideal for those who want to keep their options open, and explore the world of manufacturing without committing to a particular occupation. At all levels, students who complete a diploma will find themselves well-equipped for either vocational training, higher education, or employment.

Will the diploma replace NVQs and apprenticeships? These qualifications provide a strong foundation for new recruits, and I would hate to see them go.
No, the diploma will be available as well as existing qualifications. It will open the door to a far greater pool of potential employees by giving young people an additional route to gaining relevant skills. Different routes of learning will not be mutually exclusive. For example, students who complete a diploma at the foundation or higher level will find themselves well-equipped to go on and undertake an apprenticeship. Not only this, they’ll be far more likely to complete the apprenticeship programme as they’ll have a much better idea of what’s in store for them than someone who joins the programme straight from GCSEs.

I’ve seen in the news that most universities have said they would be unwilling to take students with a diploma. Surely this makes the whole scheme worthless.
Actually, most universities in this widely-reported study said that they would take on students with an advanced level diploma. A minority said that they probably wouldn’t at this stage, and this figure was reported in the media. In reality, 48 per cent of admissions tutors questioned said they were ‘very likely’ to admit advanced diploma students, and a further 14 per cent said it would be ‘quite likely’ or ‘possible’.
(Source: New Foundations, Enduring Values – Findings from a research project funded by the DCSF and the 1994 Group, January 2008)

The value of the diplomas has been further strengthened by the recognition of their worth by UCAS, the body responsible for managing applications to university and other higher education courses. UCAS has supported the decision that the diplomas are equivalent to the following:
•Foundation Diploma to 5 GCSEs at grades D-G
•Higher Diploma to 7 GCSEs at grades A*-C
•Advanced Diploma to 3.5 A levels

What about Maths? I heard that many universities wouldn’t consider taking students with a diploma as they would lack the advanced maths needed for many university degrees.
This is not true. All diplomas will require students to demonstrate competency in Maths, English and Information and Communication Technology. In addition, students who wish to pursue a degree in a subject requiring a high level of competency in Maths will not be prevented from doing so by taking a diploma. The qualification allows the student to broaden their study by focusing on a particular topic such as Maths. In fact, if a Maths A-level is required for entry into a particular degree course, the student can choose to take it as part of their diploma. The diploma has been designed to be flexible, giving students a good grounding in core skills, but also allowing them to focus their study on certain areas.

The Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design will include, as part of the specialist lines of learning, Maths modules created for the engineering diploma that have been highly commended by HE institutions across the country.

Why would young people choose a manufacturing diploma rather than media or engineering, which have a more attractive public image?
Many people have outdated perceptions of manufacturing as a low-skilled, poorly-paid career choice with little opportunity for progression. These perceptions are largely based on ignorance, so over the next year, we will be targeting young people and their parents to help educate and raise awareness about the exciting aspects of manufacturing.

Why is there a need for separate engineering and manufacturing diplomas?
The vast subject area means that a single qualification combining engineering and manufacturing would be unwieldy and not fit for purpose. Splitting the separate components of the manufacturing footprint into engineering (engineering, design and technology), and manufacturing (manufacturing and product design) is a common-sense approach. There are fundamental differences between the two diplomas – manufacturing is a more holistic, business-orientated programme, whereas engineering focuses in more detail on technical aspects. Of course there will be some overlap, as the manufacturing diploma touches on some of these technical skills, but each diploma is designed to complement one another rather than duplicate the same information. Students will have the opportunity to progress from a foundation level manufacturing diploma to a higher level engineering diploma, and vice versa.

How can a single qualification lead to a true understanding of a sector as diverse as manufacturing?
The diploma has not been designed to cover all sub-sectors specifically within the manufacturing footprint. The content is more generic in nature and can be translated and applied to different sub-sector contexts. The specialist units of learning have been developed in consultation with employers – students can choose to focus on particular elements from different industries.

Why should employers be involved in its delivery?
The simple fact of the matter is that if employers are not involved, then the diplomas cannot succeed. Young people cannot gain knowledge of the working environment without experiencing that environment first-hand. Ultimately, any failure of the diploma would impact negatively on manufacturing companies, which will increasingly struggle to find staff with appropriate skills. But it’s not just about the greater good – there are more immediate benefits to the individual companies that get involved.

How will the diploma benefit my company?
1)It will provide a pool of potential recruits in your local area, who have an understanding of the manufacturing workplace, and who are equipped to make realistic decisions about pursuing a career in manufacturing.
2)It will allow you to cherry-pick promising future recruits. Work placements offer a rare opportunity for an employer to assess whether an individual could become a permanent employee. There is nothing to stop job offers being made on completion of the diploma, or even companies sponsoring a promising student through higher education.
3)Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). More and more companies are realising the benefits of implementing a CSR policy. Forging relationships with local schools provides a service to the community – giving local schoolchildren more opportunities, and helping to boost employment by ensuring young people are well-prepared for the world of work.
4)It will help raise the company profile, at least in your local area. It will help position your company as the employees’ workplace of choice, by proving your commitment to skills, and to the local community. The diplomas are big news – there has been extensive regional press coverage around consortia offering the first tranche of diplomas, and that’s sure to be repeated for the second tranche.
5)It will help reduce recruitment and staff turnover costs, as young people will enter the world of work with relevant skills, better understanding, and more realistic expectations.

How can employers become involved?
Employer involvement will come through forming relationships with local schools and colleges. The diploma will be delivered in local areas through consortia – groups of schools, colleges and employers. The students will be taught in the classrooms of schools and colleges, but employer input will be required to help bring the diploma to life, through offering work placements, mentoring, setting projects and giving talks.

We’re only a small company and don’t have the resources to offer work experience placements.
There are plenty of other ways to get involved. You could spend an hour a week delivering talks or lectures, or offer site tours to groups of students. You could also work with teachers to develop a classroom-based project.

What about health and safety? I don’t want disruptive 14-year-olds let loose on my factory floor.
Firstly, we would advise any employers offering work experience or site visits to read the DfES document ‘Work-Related Learning and the Law’ (available to download free from http://www.publications.teachernet.gov.uk), to ensure the necessary insurance and risk assessment procedures are in place to satisfy health and safety regulations. Also, selecting youngsters to study the diploma will be a two-way process. Schools and colleges will help to determine whether they think someone interested in the diploma is a suitable candidate, who would benefit from the scheme. Remember that the diploma isn’t compulsory education, so it’s unlikely that diploma students will be unruly youngsters who’d rather be doing something else.

If the manufacturing diploma goes live in 2009, surely it’s too late to get involved in its delivery?
Applications for the first consortia of schools, colleges and businesses to teach the diploma from 2009 have closed and the successful consortia will be announced in April 2008. That doesn’t mean it’s too late – applications to begin delivery in 2010 will be taken later this year, and next year (2009) will see applications for 2011 delivery. We want as many companies as possible to get involved, to ensure that young people across the whole of England have the opportunity to study for the manufacturing diploma.

I’d like find out more about getting involved in helping to deliver the diploma – what do I need to do?
Visit the website – http://www.manufacturingdiploma.co.uk. In the ‘employers’ section you’ll find a wealth of further information about involvement, as well as useful links including contact details for your Local Education Authority and Sector Skills Council representative.