Diploma Hits Six Month Landmark
ConstructionSkills is calling for young people, parents, educators, employers and local authorities from across England to join forces at The Lowry in Manchester on 16 March 2009 to celebrate the first six months of the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE).
Diploma consortia – the schools, colleges and training providers who deliver the qualification – and the first learners to study it will be at the heart of the event, to share their experiences with potential young recruits and employers who wish to get involved.
Interested businesses are able to discuss the benefits of becoming part of a consortium with leading C&BE firms already engaged with the Diploma, whilst young people and parents will get a chance to hear about the Diploma in C&BE from current students. They will also get to network with prospective employers from some of the country’s leading C&BE firms, including Balfour Beattie, Seddon Group and Bovis.
Young people attending can also get a taste for the sector by taking part in a town planning challenge. They will be tasked with designing a town from scratch, using a shopping list of public and private buildings and working to a strict budget. Industry experts will also be on hand to talk attendees through the goings on of a working construction site from a raised viewing platform, enabling them to get a feel for life on site and the kind of careers accessible via the Diploma.
The day kicks off at 10.45am with a careers exhibition followed by speakers from schools and colleges. Interactive activities, including a live demonstration of the University of Salford’s VIBE learning resource will follow this. VIBE has been developed specifically to support Diploma teaching by using PC and console game technology to engage young people in the classroom. Meeting the needs of employers as well as the academic requirements of the Diploma has been central to the resource’s development.
All students who take part in the day will be entered into a prize draw to win a Nintendo Wii games console and current Diploma students attending the event will receive a certificate of recognition for being among the first to undertake the exciting new qualification.
The event is one of a nationwide series being held to celebrate six months of successful delivery of the five subjects chosen for the first wave of Diplomas, which launched in September 2008.
23rd Feb 2009
ID: 1127
