www.engineeringdiploma.com

This supplement looks at best practice case studies of employer engagement in the Diploma in Engineering. We first speak to the chairman of the Diploma Development Partnership about getting employers on board

T

he introduction of the Diploma in Engineering was a complete departure from any qualification that had come

before. “For the first time, employers were

having a direct input into a qualification and it was being designed around their requirements,” said Graham Lane, chairman of the Engineering Diploma Development Partnership (DDP). “Other engineering qualifications had

come before but these were considered by employers to be too narrow. They wanted something with breadth and depth that would reflect the needs of the industry. “The government wanted the content of

the Diploma to be designed by the DDP and for this to be employer-led. In fact, what we came up with was a radical departure from what had happened before, with a completely new approach and new content. “It came as a bit of a shock for ministers because it became more of a complicated task than they had anticipated, which required the awarding bodies to come up with new material. It wasn’t quite what anyone had expected but we think we now have a qualification that meets the needs of the engineering industry.” Mr Lane, who has been chairman of the

DDP board for the past four years, assembled the board that first looked at the development of the Diploma in Engineering. Among his many roles in education, he

has served on the East London Learning and Skills Council, Open University Council and on the board of Semta, which leads the DDP alongside five other Sector Skills Councils. “From our early discussions it became very

clear, very quickly that employers were not happy with what they had been getting,” he continued. “What was needed was a qualification

that was going to turn out engineers who know about the industry, have a range of experience in different areas, and who have the appropriate employability skills. “The whole image of engineering needed

to change. When we began to talk about the content of the Diploma, it was evident that employers were not going to budge from these requirements. “They always wanted young people

who could think for themselves, work in a team, find solutions to problems, and make decisions. What we had until then was too narrow.” Mr Lane said those early meetings resulted in some interesting discussions, with different

Developing the Diploma

areas of the industry wanting to ensure their specialism was represented in the Diploma. “For example, we had companies involved

in electronic engineering saying it wasn’t engineering unless there was a unit on electronics, so it meant that we got all the areas covered and students are now getting experience of a wide range of disciplines.” Work placements were another area

employers wanted to participate in. “What they didn’t want, though, was to field hundreds of queries from schools and colleges for work experience because clearly this would not have worked,” Mr Lane added. “They were happy to be involved in

providing work experience as long as it was properly organised. Small companies employing just a few people, in particular, could not devote a huge amount of time to showing school parties around. “This is where the Education Business

Partnerships came in to act as a liaison between the two sides on placements. There are now some excellent partnerships developing between consortia and businesses.” The DDP board’s discussions on the

design and development of the Diploma in Engineering included representatives from the universities because “there was no point in coming up with a new qualification unless it was recognised and its value acknowledged by higher education institutions”, Mr Lane added. “Universities began by saying they

would not accept the Advanced Diploma in Engineering as a qualification for entry unless there was a mathematics component, so the Maths for Engineering unit was developed to satisfy them. “This sort of input from the industry and

higher education was extremely valuable because it helped to bring everything together. “It was hard to break down some of

those early barriers but the Russell Group of universities is now on board and the government is planning to track the first ‘graduates’ of the Diploma this autumn to find out where they go and what they do next. We now have a qualification which, although still evolving, people think is exciting and is being extremely well received.”

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