The diplomas are designed to help students make decisions about their future by encouraging them to develop specialist skills in their chosen area of study. These new qualification are being introduced to students aged 14 to 19, providing them with a mixture of classroom learning, creative thinking and practical hands on experience.
Starting from September 2008 Newcastle City Learning Centre is going to play its role in this new scheme, offering support and delivering sessions in the IT, Creative and Media and Engineering diplomas.
If your school is interested in finding out how we can help you with one of these new qualifications, whether it is with the use of our high tech equipment, latest professional standard software or our specialist knowledge in the areas please do not hesitate to contact us.
The Diploma in Business, Administration and Finance will look at 3 main areas:
Business Enterprise: Develop ideas, carry out research and promote products or services
Business Administration: Learn about business administration and how important it is to organisations
Finance: Teaches the knowledge and skills you need to manage personal and business finances
The Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment will look at 3 main areas:
Designing the built environment: Learning how the built environment is designed and constructed, how it impacts on people and communities, and how history, politics and economics affect it
Creating the built environment: Developing a range of skills and knowledge needed in different industries - for example, using tools and understanding modern construction methods and materials
Valuing and using the built environment: Analysing the need for good management and continuous maintenance, and understanding the importance of good design, workmanship and teamwork
The Diploma in Creative and Media will look at 4 main areas:
Creativity in context: The things that can influence the creative process, such as society, culture, the environment or the work of other people.
Thinking and working creatively: Ways of exploring, experimenting with and developing ideas, skills and techniques
Principles, processes and practice: The skills, techniques and processes to turn your ideas in reality.
Creative businesses and enterprise: An understanding of real situations and the skills that you need to succeed in the industry
The Diploma in Engineering will look at 3 main areas:
The engineered world: Looks at the importance of engineering in the modern world and the impact engineering has on the way we live our lives
Discovering engineering technology: Introduces basic engineering principles such as design, materials, electronics systems, maintenance and manufacturing
Engineering the future: Looks at what makes innovations succeed, how new materials contribute to design and how to develop and launch new ideas.
The Diploma in environmental and land-based studies will look at 3 main areas:
Productive and working environments: This looks at the limited resources of our natural environment, our impact on it, how it influences us and how these resources are used
Plants and animals: This explores how we use plants for commercial, recreational and conservation purposes and animals for production (food), recreation, work or companionship
Developing the sustainable environment: This theme will explore the impact we have on our environmental and how important it is to use environmentally friendly 'green' practices
The Diploma in hair and beauty will look at 3 main areas:
Employability: The global environment in which hair and beauty businesses operate, plus personal presentation, hygiene and wellbeing. Learn the principles of basic hair, beauty and nail treatments and routines - along with historic and cultural differences
Customer interaction: Learn communication skills from client consultation to managing expectations, as well as promotion and selling by recommendation. Introduces basic business systems and processes in a salon reception
Creativity and innovation: Investigate how personality, culture, race, gender, fashion and religious influences can be expressed through hairstyles, skin care and make-up techniques. Learn the importance of innovation in hair and beauty product design.
The Diploma in hospitality will look at 3 main areas:
The hospitality industry: Introducing the UK hospitality industry and customer service
People in the hospitality industry: Developing skills to work in the hospitality industry
Hospitality operations: Preparing and serving food and beverages
The Diploma in IT will look at 3 main areas:
Business: How organisations work and the role technology can play
People: How to work well with other people
Technology: How to create technology solutions
The Diploma in manufacturing and product design will start from September 2010 and will look at 3 main areas:
Product design and materials science: Considers the process of manufacturing a product, from the purchasing of raw materials to the sale of the finished product
Business and enterprise: Provides an introduction to manufacturing as a business
Production systems: Gives an insight into the skills, techniques and processes to turn your ideas into reality.
The Diploma in public services will start from September 2011 and will look at 5 main areas:
Finding out about public services: Explore the whole spectrum of public services in the UK, including armed forces, education, law and order, health, plus local and central government.
Local communities: Look at local public services, and how they differ from nationally delivered public services
Health and wellbeing in communities: See how public services assess, support and promote wellbeing for individuals and communities.
Protecting communities: Learn why people and communities need safety and protection, and how it is provided
Skills to work in public services: Discover the range of careers in publics services, and the skills you need to work in them
The Diploma in retail business will start from September 2010 and will look at 6 main areas:
Introduction to retail: Explore the whole retail industry and how it works, including different types of businesses and jobs, and what retail means to people and communities
Exploring enterprise: Look at inspirational entrepreneurs in retail and what has made them so successful, as well as how to set up and run a retail business
Retail supply chain: Find out how goods in this sector go from being manufactured to being sold on the shop floor
Retail outlets: See how a retail outlet is run, from job roles to technology and health and safety hazards.
Retail selling: Learn all about sales targets and how to pitch products to customers, as well as taking payments securely
Customer service: Understand the importance of customer service, how using feedback can help to get better results and handling complaints and compliments
The Diploma in society, health and development covers 4 sectors, Children and Young People's Workforce, Community Justice, Health and Adult Social Care. The diploma will look at 6 main areas:
The sectors in context: Focuses on the political, social and economic factors that affect the four sectors today
Principles and values in practice: The values and principles that underpin and inform the practice of everyone across the sectors. It puts the person using the service at the centre of the provision
Partnership working: New work practices mean that services work much more closely together to ensure the quality, greater flexibility and more efficient use of resources for service provision and support. For example, in family centres, there will be people from social services, health and the children's services all working to ensure quality and integrated services for children and families
Communication and information sharing: Good communication is crucial to people working across the sectors. What are the barriers to good communication, how can they be overcome and are there tensions between good communication and sharing information with other professionals and respecting the privacy of individuals
Personal and professional development in the work environment: Being able to reflect on own practice is a critical aspect of professional development - what did you do well, what can be improved, how can you improve your practice?
Safeguarding and protecting individuals and society: People are often working with the most vulnerable people in society. It is important to understand what needs to be done to ensure that people are kept safe.
The Diploma in Sport and Active Leisure will start from September 2010 and will look at 3 main areas:
The individual: Explore how important an active and healthy lifestyle is, as well as how the body works and the impact of unhealthy choices like smoking and drinking
The industry: Learn all about the sport and active leisure industry, and who works in it, including sports clubs, specialist colleges, commercial sponsors and funding agencies like Sport England and the National Lottery
The community: Find out why the sport and active leisure industry is described as 'people-centred', developing the all-important customer service and relationships building skills you'll need to succeed in it.
The Diploma in travel and tourism will start from September 2010 and will look at 5 main areas:
Planning journeys: Look at modes of passenger transport and travel routes to plan a trip
Destinations: Learn about local, national and international visitor destinations
Customer experience: See how important customer service is to this sector
Working in travel and tourism: Look at all the different careers in the industry
Products and services: Work in a team to create and deliver a new product or service
There will be three new diploma subjects starting from September 2012.
Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences: You'll focus on the dilemmas and challenges that individuals and society face locally, nationally and internationally - including ethics and human rights, through a range of humanities and social sciences perspectives.
Diploma in Languages and International Communication: You'll learn languages in a real contexts, such as in leisure or work, as well as intercultural, translation and interpretation skills. It will give you greater knowledge of the worked and an idea of how to interact with people from different cultures.
Diploma in Science: You'll study science in the context of three interlocking worlds - natural, human and technological - learning how to apply your skills to real situations and work-related problem solving.