Case study
Employers:
Building
partnerships
Chris Simpson from Wates Group looks at the
resources they are of_f ering Construction and the Built
Environment Diploma students and of_f ers advice to
schools and colleges on engaging employers
HE INVOLVEMENT of trade route as an entry to the construction T_h e preparatory work with Croydon
T
employers with the government’s industry, and be aware of the many and varied has helped us to develop a blueprint for
fl agship Diplomas is absolutely opportunities that are available for all young involvement with other establishments. We
critical to their success. Without people. recognise that the Diploma has an ambitious
direct input, students will not receive the We believe the change in 14 to 19 agenda and the second year of its life can
context and practical insight that is such education is an opportunity to work with really demonstrate its value in bridging the
an integral part of the vision for the new education providers to give students that divide between vocational and professional
qualifi cations. insight. We have the chance to promote an qualifi cations.
Wates Group is heavily involved with understanding of our industry that enables Our real enthusiasm for the qualifi cation
the Diploma in Construction and the Built students to make educated choices for (shared by many of the teachers we
Environment (CBE) and we have just their careers, while providing a demanding encountered during the pilot year) has led us
launched our free teaching resource for 14 to curriculum to challenge them. to provide a range of support for consortia
19-year-olds studying this line of learning. Working with schools and colleges from around the country.
Wates as a company has always recognised around the country, we have been making as Wates started its involvement with the
that it has a responsibility to contribute to the much resource as possible available to help qualifi cation by off ering practical support
education of the next generation and to help support the new Diploma and, at the end of including work placements, work-shadowing,
promote a wider understanding of the complex its fi rst year, are in a much better position to teacher placements, site visits, and professional
and demanding industry in which it operates. evaluate the best way of doing this. staff masterclasses. We worked with the
We have always invested heavily in our trainees As with any signifi cant project, our Diploma Support Programme to hold an
and worked together with colleges delivering involvement with the Diploma began in a Inside the Workplace training day on-site for
the vocational courses that have traditionally small way. I was working with Croydon Diploma practitioners in June 2009. On the
been associated with training for construction. College when the bid process to deliver perimeter of one of our sites, we have opened
However, there is also a need to Diplomas began. Director of 14 to 19 a two-storey Education Resource Centre. T_h e
communicate an understanding of the huge partnerships at the college, John Stopani, ground fl oor is used as a classroom, while
range of career opportunities within the recognised that a qualifi cation supported by the top fl oor contains construction drawings,
industry for professionals, such as quantity industry would provide a realistic and up- safety notices, plans and information about
surveyors, site managers, planners, and to-date understanding of what we do, and the site – plus a viewing gallery over-looking
estimators. that the involvement of the employer was the site so that students can get a feel for the
We want young people to look beyond the fundamental to the delivery of the Diploma. project without aff ecting the site team.
260 Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009
26-27 case consort copyb.indd 12 17/9/09 18:55:34
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