Chancellor announces boost for engineering skills
Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced boost for engineering skills while opening a state of the art Rolls Royce apprenticeships academy.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has today announced a boost for engineering skills while opening a state of the art Rolls Royce apprenticeships academy in Derby.
The development of new vocational qualifications in engineering will strengthen the value of the qualifications, and encourage more schools to offer engineering courses.
The Royal Academy of Engineering - backed by the Department for Education - will work with employers to re-design the Principal Learning element of the Engineering Diploma into four rigorous qualifications, each equivalent to one GCSE. The new qualifications are likely to be included in the Key Stage 4 performance tables from 2016.
The Chancellor said:
If Britain is to compete and thrive in the global economy then we must lead the way in science and technology. These new engineering qualifications will give young people the skills that they want, and that businesses need, to be at the forefront of this race.
Minister for Skills, Matthew Hancock, said:
Today’s news shows we are serious about backing engineering skills, which are vital for our economy and which set people on a path to prosperity.
Notes for Editors
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The Royal Academy of Engineering will consult with employers, professional bodies, schools, colleges and awarding bodies on the redesign of the Principal Learning component of the Engineering Diploma. The reformed courses are likely to be available to students from September 2014.
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The Principal Learning component is a combination of practical and theoretical learning related to the subject of the Engineering Diploma and worth half the Diploma.