Numbers fall on Construction Diploma

Student numbers are falling on the Construction and Built Environment Diploma (CBED), just one year after it's launch.

Lack of student interest and the current economic climate have seen student numbers plummet for this September's intake, particulary at Foundation level.

The Foundation course (Level I) has been critised as "too academic" by training consortia and schools. Significant numbers of students have quit the course frustrated by its lack of practical training. Concerns have also been raised about the Foundation course grading which is rated as the equivalent of a 'D' grade at GCSE level.

Training consortia raised their concerns earlier this month at a forum organised by the Department of Children Schools and Families to review the progress of the pilot CBE Diploma  courses launched last year. Consortia at the forum called for the Level One Foundation course to become more vocational.

A straw poll by CJ this week revealed widespread concern about the Level One course. 

The Middlesborough training consortia is also dropping the course. A spokeswoman said: "We are not delivering Level One to the present new cohort of students due to our judgement that it is too academically biased and not appropriate for Level One pupils. We are looking at BTEc alternatives."

George Carr, program manager for construction at Stoke-on-Trent college, said: "Two of three schools have pulled their Level One students off the course because its too academic and Level One students need something more practical."

John Stopani, 14-19 partnerships director at Croydon College said the low grading at Level One was a disincentive. He said schools were reluctant to place children on courses that consigned them to what is perceived to be a fail at GCSE level.

Training consortia also report that the economic downturn has hit course numbers with parents preferring their children to stick to more tried and tested courses.

However ConstructionSkills, which promotes the CBE Diploma defended the Level One course.

Nick Gooderson, head of education said: "The reported low take up of foundation level diplomas is mirrored across all vocational diplomas, and is not unique to the C&BE Diploma. This is not because the qualification is pitched at too low a level, it is because it is still new to industry and is still in the process of being taken up and proactively promoted by teachers and college tutors, as well as the fact that there are a number of other qualification channels at this level that are currently more widely recognised, such as the BTEC provision."

Joe Johnson, training director at the Civil Engineering Contractors' Association, commented: "The Government should've been more prescriptive on what the vocational element of the qualification should be. The flexibility of the curriculum content means Level One courses vary from one area to another in terms of vocational content."