Engineering Diploma .Net

Dyson is doubling its UK engineering team from 350 to 700.  Bucking the trend, Dyson is increasing research and development investment and recruiting during recession.

The new engineers, many from university, will work at Dyson’s Wiltshire laboratories, where machines are conceived, researched and designed.  New positions include graduate design engineers, mechanical engineers and acoustic engineers.
 
Dyson – the second highest UK patent filer after Rolls Royce – invests millions developing new technology every year, making it one of Britain’s most inventive companies.  Areas of expertise include microbiology, fluid, mechanical, electrical, electro magnetic compatibility, thermal, acoustic and software engineering. For more information contact Dan Crowley on Daniel.crowley@dyson.com

LJ Create were at the Sixth National Delivering Diplomas Conference, where the students of Hanham High School in South Gloucestershire stole the show. The Diploma pioneers travelled to Birmingham for the event on March 18, with their deputy headteacher Phil Bevan, and were given a stand in the conference’s exhibition area to show off their Diploma work.

The six students, who are studying two of the lines of learning at different levels, also joined in a number of the seminars during the event, including the discussions on the extended project, additional and specialist learning, and work experience.

Two of the group even joined Teresa Bergin, the Qualification and Curriculum Development Agency’s Diplomas chief, on stage during her opening address to the conference to talk about their studies so far.

Mr Bevan was full of praise for the students. He said: “The day really gave the students a chance to demonstrate how self-sufficient and resilient the Diploma course has allowed them to become. Within seconds of arriving two of them were whisked away to join Teresa Bergin on stage, and they handled themselves amazingly well in front of the 150-plus delegates. Later on, they all sat in on panel discussions, and although they didn’t know all the answers, they all contributed something to the debates, and gave the delegates some first-hand stories of the Diploma in action.”

Editor of SecEd and Delivering Diplomas, Pete Henshaw, said: “As expected, the students’ exhibition stand proved to be one of the most popular attractions, and their contribution did not stop there as they weighed in with some incredibly useful and insightful comments during the seminars. “If proof was ever needed that the Diplomas are producing confident and skilled individuals, you need look no further than the contribution of the Hanham High School students during last week’s event.”

Students from Newstead Wood, a selective school for girls in London are really enthusiastic about the Engineering Diploma.

20 female students from Newstead Wood in Bromley, South London are currently taking the Engineering Diploma and are enjoying it. They even continue working through their lunchbreaks!

"You do a wide range of things, you go to college and work with machinery. It's so challenging, working things out for yourself," says Jessica Salisbury, 16.

Bethany Hall, 15, agrees. "You work in such different ways," she says. "For one assessment we had to look at how a torch works and take it apart, and then design a torch for a teacher going camping."

Jenny Wright, the school's head of engineering, says: "Students learn through practical approaches, the content is varied, they get to work in teams and solve problems. It's also very challenging, which is important for them."

Andy Colegate, the engineering technical manager who teaches one unit of the course, adds: "It turns out practical and competent students. It's not a wishy-washy qualification or an easy option. As an engineer myself, I think it is a really positive thing for the profession."

See the Independent for the full story.

Students from Norwich have featured alongside rap artist Kano in the new Diplomas advert.

The new 14-19 Diplomas advert, titled "More than one way", was produced using behind the scenes footage of Kano and diploma students who were all involved with the making of Kano's latest video - "Grime". All the students are part of the "Norwich Open Opportunity Consortium".

See the Norwich Evening News for the full story.

Engineering Diploma students from Frankley City Learning Centre (CLC) were invited to attend parliament as part of an event organised by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). 

The students presented their work to a number of MPs from all the major parties and guests from industry.  One of the guests, Richard Burden MP, said "Frankley City Learning Centre is an excellent local resource that will really help to get young people enthused about engineering and allow them to get the most out of studying the Engineering Diploma. The new diploma provides students with practical skills and a rigorous academic qualification. It will be an important part of developing a future generation of skilled engineers.”

See the Politics.co.uk website for the full story.

UK undergraduate admissions rise in physics and engineering programmes.

The number of students starting undergraduate engineering courses at UK colleges and universities in 2009 is way above last year's figures, according to a report issued by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), which has been tracking these numbers since 1993.

Aerospace engineering admissions rose by 20.7% to 2,016; mechanical by almost 12% to 5,757; electronic/electrical by 3.7% to 4,654; and civil by 3.2% to 4,432. Admissions to undergraduate physics programmes rose by 7% to 3,559. UCAS had earlier reported that applications for admission in all programmes were up for the year by 9.7% over 2008 numbers.

This article is featured in the Nature International Weekly Journal of Science.

The QCDA has developed a new online tool which can be used in conjunction with the Learner Study Plan to check that every Diploma student is following a valid programme of study.

The tool, known as the Diploma Validator, is designed for use by curriculum planners in Diploma home centres. It has been launched by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) and can be accessed at www.qcda.gov.uk/diplomavalidator.

The Diploma Validator has been recommended for Diploma completers in Advanced IT, Higher IT and BAF Foundation who complete in summer 2010.  The tool has also been recommended for those delivering Engineering, Creative and Media, IT, Hair and Beauty Studies to ensure you have available options for student who began programmes in Sept 2009.

There is further information about the tool on the QCDA website at www.qcda.gov.uk/diploma.