The College of North East London

Tulay Rashid, Assistant Director of The College of North East London (CoNEL) in Haringey, has been involved in the implementation of the Diploma in C&BE. She said:

“We wanted to be at the cutting edge of educational delivery so were very keen to have the latest options on our curriculum. The Diploma is clearly going to be an important new initiative and we wanted to be part of it from the start, particularly as construction has always been a popular area for us.

“It’s been a big success. We have 23 students on the Foundation and Higher Diplomas with no drop outs at all, which is remarkable for a brand new course. The young people are really enjoying it and are enthusiastic. We have some really capable students who will be fully prepared for careers in C&BE sectors that the Diploma aims to take them into.    

“The consortia approach has worked well. We’ve had good lines of communication with the local schools for some time as a number of their pupils came here for their Key Stage Four education, so dealing with local schools that are part of the consortia has been straightforward. Six more schools are now on board to add to the three that initially bid for the Diploma with us.       

“We have had great support from local firms, including Wilmott Dixon and Lee Valley Estates. The relationship with Wilmott Dixon is new to us; the management there were attracted by the Diploma and they have also put us in touch with local architects. Lee Valley Estates has given all of our pupils a full site induction, which was great experience for them, and there will be work experience sessions starting later in the academic year. They have also offered full apprenticeships to all students who successfully complete their Diploma, which is a fantastic incentive for them to work hard.”

Diploma student

Sian O’Leary, 15, a student at Woodside High in Tottenham, is currently studying the Higher Diploma at CoNEL. She said:

“There was a careers event at my school and I signed up to visit the college where the Diploma is taught for an open day. My favourite subjects were always Design and Technology and Woodwork so I knew I wanted to do something with a practical element. I liked what I saw and my mum was very keen on what she read about the Diploma, so I decided to go for it.

“I’ve always been a hands-on person and construction has appealed to me from an early age. I am really enjoying the course and definitely made the right choice. I think I’d like to go straight into employment when I finish the Diploma. My dad works locally as a bricklayer and that’s what I’d like to do too, hopefully via an apprenticeship. My ambition is to run my own company and one day work for myself.

“The fact that I am a girl isn’t an issue; it hasn’t made any difference to the way I am treated by the rest of the students. I am just as capable as any of the lads.”         

Lee Valley Estates

Lee Valley Estates is the foremost private industrial landlord in the Lee Valley. They also develop commercial and mixed-use sites, providing homes and community facilities alongside workspace, to support sustainable regeneration. They are currently involved in the £400m Tottenham Hale Village development which will comprise residential and student properties, as well as a wide range of community and leisure facilities.

Chris Shellard is Lee Valley’s Planning Director. He said:

“Getting involved with the Diploma was an easy choice. The main reason for helping out was our strong sense of social responsibility. We are family owned and our chairman has a long standing commitment to working with young people, including running a charitable trust, so it made good sense for us to help these students.”  

“We were involved from the start and helped the teaching staff with the design of the curriculum, developing units of learning. We also sponsored the production of a guide to construction that is given to all students and a sustainability handbook that we produced along with BDP, an architectural practice. In addition, we have made data available to students and teachers for use in projects and assignments.

“We have offered apprenticeships to all students who pass their Diploma; it gives them an incentive to do well and acts as a recruitment programme for us, so everybody wins. It’s a great way of introducing young people to the working world as it combines academic knowledge with the practical experience of learning by seeing and doing. Once they have completed the course, young people will be absolutely clear about what fantastic opportunities construction could provide for them.”                     

The Diploma in C&BE is one of five Diplomas for 14-19 years olds that the Department for Children, Schools and Families has introduced, which combine skills with National Curriculum-based education.