Diploma in Engineering
Diploma champions
Leighton
"I am hoping to be a CAD designer and the Diploma will give me a good start."
Brad
"It has been great working with people from other schools and meeting new people."
Emily
"I am planning to continue in engineering and go on to do an aeronautical degree once I leave school."
Mark
"I enjoy the technical side of the Diploma and hope to continue developing my skills in the Royal Navy."
The Industry
Engineering is all around us. It plays an important part in what we do every day and has an impact on everyone's life. Engineering creates the infrastructure in which we live, work and spend our leisure time.
So, not surprisingly, the engineering sector is huge. Over 1.6 million people already work in engineering-related jobs in sectors like health, entertainment, farming, architecture, mechanics, electronics, telecommunication, biomedicine, aerospace, transport, design, oil, gas, chemical and nuclear energy and utilities, engineering manufacture and building services.
If you enjoy challenges and problem-solving, are creative, innovative, have flexible skills and are interested in new technology, your career prospects in engineering are excellent.
Build essential skills and experience
The Diploma in Engineering opens up the ideas and concepts behind engineering, and how they impact the modern world. You will be introduced to key engineering principles such as design, materials, electronic systems, maintenance and manufacturing.
You will also get lots of practical experience and study what makes innovations succeed, how new materials contribute to design and how to develop and launch new ideas.
What will I learn?
The Diploma in Engineering focuses on three main themes:-
How is the Diploma made up?
Principal learning (subject learning you have to do)
At the heart of the Diploma are your core engineering subjects. These will teach you the main things you need to know about the sector. You will learn about the issues that are affecting the industry today, how it works and what skills you need to have to work within it.
Additional and specialist learning (choices you can make)
-----Specialist Learning: At each level, you can develop your particular engineering interests further by taking specialist courses relating to your chosen subject and career ambitions. Depending on the options available at your local school or college, you could, for example, learn about robotics, medical engineering, aerospace, car and motorcycle maintenance, electronics or chemical manufacturing. If you want to carry on studying engineering at university, it would be a good idea to take the Maths for Engineers option designed specifically for Diploma students as part of the Advanced Diploma in Engineering.
-----Additional Learning: You can also broaden your course by taking an additional subject that reflects your other interests and career ambitions - like a language, a science, or a creative subject like Music.
Functional skills in English, Maths and ICT
Like all Diploma students, you will develop a good standard of English, Maths and ICT. These subjects are essential to succeed in any business or learning environment, whether you decide to continue in the engineering sector or not.
Personal, learning and thinking skills
All Diploma students will develop personal, learning and thinking skills, such as team-working, creative thinking and self-management. These are vital skills in both life and work, and will be useful to you in the future, no matter which path you take.
Work experience
Your Diploma will give you the opportunity to do at least 10 days' work experience. This is a great way to use the skills you have learnt in the classroom, and experience what work is like from the inside.
Student projects
During your Diploma, you will complete a student project to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you have learnt. You might decide to design a car powered by electricity or solar energy, or you could design a water pump for use in a developing country.
What a Diploma will lead to
A Diploma in Engineering will give you the skills you need for either university or work, and is a first step towards a career in the sector.
It could lead you to a university degree in aeronautical engineering, automotive engineering, building services engineering, manufacturing engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering or biomedical materials science.
However, the Diploma in Engineering doesn't mean you have to opt for a career in this sector. Because a Diploma teaches a mix of subjects, it will give you the skills that will be welcomed by colleges, universities and employers, and is an excellent starting point for other careers or study.
"The University of Warwick welcomes the Diploma for its potential to extend opportunity to more young people, enabling them to take advantage of a high-quality university education at Warwick and elsewhere."
Professor Nigel Thrift, Vice-Chancellor, Warwick University.
Want to find out more?
To find out more about the Diploma in Engineering, speak to your teacher or careers adviser. You can also find more information about Diplomas on these websites:
www.direct.gov.uk
www.connexions-direct.com
www.engineeringdiploma.com