Construction diplomas criticised by House of Lords

The House of Lords echoed contractors concerns this week about the lack of work experience in the Government’s new Diplomas.

In a debate on the Education and Skills Bill a number of Lords questioned the vocational element of the five new Diplomas, due to be launched in September. The five diplomas include the Construction and Built Environment Diploma which does not guarantee any on-site experience on the course.

Baroness Walmsley revealed that there were “considerable reservations” about whether the Diplomas provided “relevant practical experience”.

Baroness Morris of Bolton agreed, warning against the Diplomas becoming box ticking exercises. She called for “rigorous vocational qualifications”, which both students and employers could value.

Work-based learning opportunities had more than halved in the past two decades, Lord Low of Dalston commented. He called for more “apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships for students not motivated by the traditional school environment”.

Baroness Garden of Frognal warned against a rush to roll out the Diplomas “at the expense of thorough piloting”.

Nor should the Diplomas try to meet both universities’ and employers’ expectations, argued Lord Pilkington of Oxenford. He commented: “It has proved very difficult to have one diploma satisfying two masters: that has failed on a number of occasions.”

The Civil Engineering Contractor’ Association welcomed the Lord’s debate. CECA training director Joe Johnson said: “Pupils have to get their hands dirty.” He added: “A holder of the Construction and the Built Environment Diploma might not have set foot on a construction site during the entire course. For it to work, you have got to get the vast majority of work experience on site.”