"As QCA has said, the new Diplomas are central to the most radical education reform happening in the world today. Along with our other reforms to 14-19 education, they will transform the life chances of young people, giving them a real opportunity to follow the career paths that are right for them while equipping them with skills employers need. QCA is critical to the development and delivery of the Diplomas. Through their continued hard work and commitment, they will set the standard of the Diploma as the first five come on stream next year. I look forward to working with them and other DfES partners as we take forward this important policy. Rt Hon Alan Johnson, MP Secretary of State for Education and Skills" Rt Hon Alan Johnson, MP Secretary of State for Education and Skills

The introduction, by 2013, of 14 new Diploma qualifications, each available at three levels, represents a groundbreaking innovation in 14 -19 curriculum and qualifications. Designed as an alternative to traditional GCSEs and A levels, Diplomas are multi-component qualifications themed around an industry sector.

They will combine vocational or applied content with rigorous theoretical learning, set in the context of a particular industry, known as a 'line of learning'. Young people undertaking the Diploma curriculum will be guaranteed to learn practical, functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT, as well as concentrating on the personal, learning and thinking skills so highly prized by employers and higher education.

Although Diplomas will offer an excellent grounding in the 14 employment sectors, they are designed to be education rather than training. Their role is to motivate and engage young people by putting their education into the context of the contemporary world of work and ensuring that their learning programme has real coherence and relevance.

While post-16 learners will still be able to choose from occupational qualifications, such as apprenticeships and NVQs, Diplomas will offer a relevant education experience that can be a springboard to further learning or to employment. Diplomas are based on units and credits and will be fully flexible for young people who might want to swap into or out of particular lines of learning or back to GCSEs or A levels. In fact, many learners will choose to complete a GCSE or an A level as part of their Diploma programme.

Diplomas represent the first new mainstream qualification suite for 14 - 19 year olds for over a decade. They represent a key strategy for raising participation and achievement for young people and will provide a much sounder platform for meeting national skills shortages.

At level 1, the Diplomas will, for the first time, offer an education programme for those young people who are not ready to progress straight to level 2, who may achieve more through a level 1 Diploma, or who will be attracted back to study by the prospect of a new teaching and learning style. Until now, the only alternative to GCSEs for many of these students has been vocational training programmes. While these programmes may be right for some students, it is important that all young people acquire the wider practical and personal skills that are embedded in Diplomas and are fundamental for success in life and work.

At level 2, the Diplomas will offer a tailored education programme as an alternative to the traditional GCSE route. Level 2 Diplomas will appeal both to those who are likely to perform better in these programmes than at GCSE, and to high achievers who would perform well in GCSEs but are more motivated by contemporary and applied study.

At level 3, the Diplomas are designed for all students across the full ability range, some of whom may have taken GCSEs.

The three levels of the Diplomas are graded, and will raise the aspirations of hundreds of thousands of young people. Diplomas will offer a high-status option that will provide a credible alternative to GCSEs and A levels and a more coherent offer than that provided by the wide array of vocational qualifications available for young people now. By providing a more compelling and contemporary curriculum, Diplomas will raise participation and attainment among those who might otherwise leave education.

The three main components of a Diploma

• Principal learning, which is sectorrelated and mandatory. Principal learning focuses on developing and applying the knowledge and skills that are relevant to an industry sector.
• Generic learning, which encourages students to develop and apply the broad skills and knowledge necessary for learning, employment and personal development. This component includes functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT, personal, PLTS, work experience and a project.
• Additional and specialist learning, which allows learners to have the opportunities to specialise or to take up relevant complementary learning.

Delivering the infrastructure for the first Diplomas

In 2006, the National Assessment Agency (NAA) led a programme to enable the
delivery of the new Diplomas in England and to improve the administration of other
types of qualifications examination across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The NAA is working in partnership with awarding bodies and regulators from each
of the three countries to achieve three specific goals:

• to enable the introduction and awarding of Diploma qualifications by providing
  the new systems and processes required
• to establish an organisation to manage the ongoing provision of these services.
• to increase the efficiency of the examinations system by improving the
  administration of assessmrnts in schools and colleges

The Diploma delivery programme will enable schools and colleges to meet the
challenges set by the introduction of the new Diplomas and will help them to
manage the complex administrative demands of examinations, now and in
the future.

Late in 2006, the NAA received a further remit from the DfES to support schools
exams officers and administrators through the roll-out of the new qualifications and
to be responsible for the deployment of the associated technology and systems
infrastructure.

Timescale for the introduction of new Diplomas

2008

Information technology; Society, health and development; Engineering; Creative and media; Construction and the built environment

2009

Land-based and environmental; Manufacturing; Hair and beauty; Business, administration and finance; Hospitality and catering

2010

Public services; Sport and leisure; Retail, Travel and tourism

Building the regulatory framework for Diplomas

To ensure the new Diplomas are credible qualifications that command public confidence and are valued by learners, employers and educational establishments alike, it is vital that a robust regulatory framework is established. Over the last year, QCA has worked with partner organisations to build the criteria and regulatory framework for Diplomas. These new qualifications are complex, with the possibility that some could include other stand-alone qualifications or units from other qualifications, such as A levels and GCSEs. Copies of the new criteria and regulatory framework are available on the QCA website.

In November 2006, QCA began the process of recognising awarding bodies that will award components and entire Diplomas. This will continue over the next year to ensure that these awarding bodies have rigorous quality systems in place to offer the first of these groundbreaking qualifications in 2008. As the regulator of the qualifications system in England, QCA will continue to monitor closely the development and implementation of the Diplomas to ensure that they serve the interests of learners.