The first of the government’s new 14-19 Diploma courses for Nottingham pupils will be up and running in September as planned.

The assurance from Nottingham City Council and partner organisations in the provision of the Diploma courses at City schools follows comments yesterday that there were still problems with the courses and teacher training. They were made by Edexcel exam board managing director Jerry Jarvis.
Nottingham City is one of the leading authorities in the country in preparing for the introduction of Diplomas in construction industry, creative and media industries, engineering, information technology and social health and care professions from September 2008, many of them specifically addressing skills shortages in the East Midlands.

Pilot programmes have been running since September 2007 using existing qualifications, to ensure that teachers, training providers and employers are all working together and that administrative systems are in place well before September 2008. Over 200 students have signed up to the courses in Nottingham, at all three levels and at schools, colleges and training centres across the City.

Councillor Jane Urquhart, Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio holder for Children’s Services, said: "Diplomas involve partnerships between schools, colleges, training providers, Nottingham City Council and local industry who can offer workplace training and experience. In Nottingham we are absolutely on track for our students in September."

"The collaboration between everyone involved in providing diploma study, including our business and industry partners, is strong and training for teachers and everyone else involved has been on-going since early 2007.

"We are confident everything is in place for the Diplomas to begin in Nottingham in September and that they will open up a wide range of new opportunities for Nottingham students.”

Tracey Yates, co-ordinator of the Engineering Diploma which will be delivered at Top Valley School and Engineering College in partnership with Fernwood School and Castle College is excited by the opportunities that the Diplomas bring for students to engage with employers. "The Diplomas enable our learners to develop the skills and attributes for survival and success in the 21st century world of work."

Nigel Akers, Co-ordinator for the IT Diploma which will be delivered at Djanogly City Academy, Bluecoat School and Technology College and all three colleges in the City, is confident that learners and their future employers will benefit enormously from the Diplomas. "These Diplomas have been developed in partnership with employers and universities and will deliver top quality learning fit for the 21st Century. We can’t go on delivering 20th Century qualifications and hope that the UK will continue to retain its place in the global marketplace.

"One of Mr Jarvis’ concerns is that the Diplomas will be too demanding; we would be failing our students if the qualifications did not provide the challenge and rigour that employers and universities demand. Our experience of running the pilot programmes over the last year is that our learners rise to that challenge, can see the relevance of their learning and are developing a whole set of skills in team working, communication, leadership and management, that will be essential for their future careers."