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From September 2008, the introduction of the new Diploma qualification will provide an alternative route of study to GCSEs or A-levels.
It's a new qualification for 14 to 19-year-olds and combines classroom-based learning with creative ways of thinking and the chance to learn in a work-place environment. UKP-Arts looks at one of the five new Diplomas - the Diploma in Creative and Media.
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If you want to gain qualifications that could give you the skills you need to enter the modern creative industries but you're not sure exactly what job or university course you want yet, then this new Diploma could be the choice for you.
The Diploma in Creative and Media will cover the following areas:
Visual arts including: advertising, animation, graphic design, product design, 2D and 3D visual art, fashion and textiles
Performing arts including: drama, dance and music.
Media including: film, television, radio, interactive media, computer games, photo-imaging and creative writing.
As it is a new qualification, it won't be available in every school in England straight away. The plan to start with is that there will be 40,000 Diploma places available in England, but by 2013 they will be available to everyone. You can find out which Diploma courses are being taught in your area from your school or college, or in your local 14 to 19 prospectus.
So what is the new Diploma?
All of the Diplomas are designed to give you a head-start in whichever industry you choose, by teaching you the theoretical side of things, as well as the practical. They will give you an insight into different careers within your chosen sector and so, unlike an Apprenticeship, you don't need to know in advance what you want to do once you have finished the course.
Studying for the Diploma will not be like following a traditional academic course. It introduces different ways of learning and a broader range of subjects within one qualification. A Diploma won't train you for a particular job but it will give you the chance to explore and develop the skills you need to succeed - whatever you decide to do next.
The Diploma in Creative and Media teaches you skills that are required if you are thinking about further training and/or a career in a creative capacity. You will learn how to think, question, explore and communicate creatively - and then bring your ideas to life in practical ways through making, performing and doing. It will also teach you to be aware of your surroundings and how this can affect what and how you create.
Along with the subject-specific learning you will also have the chance to develop your English, Maths and ICT skills as well as life/work skills such as teamwork and time-management.
Close links with the various creative industries and the opportunity to study these as businesses will help prepare you for work. The chance to complete a final Student Project will also show potential employers that you can apply skills you've learnt in a work context.
The different levels
When you finish, you'll receive either a Foundation, a Higher or an Advanced Diploma depending on which level you are studying at. The Foundation Diploma is broadly equivalent to five GCSEs at grade D to G. The Higher Diploma will be broadly equivalent to seven GCSEs at grade A* to C. An Advanced Diploma will be broadly equivalent to three A-levels.
This doesn't mean that you can't do GCSEs and A-levels too. You can take GCSEs or A-levels alongside your Diploma or as part of your Diploma course as one of your options.
After doing a Foundation or Higher Diploma you could go on to take a Diploma at the next level, either in the same subject or you could change to another area. You could go on to do another qualification or you might decide to do an Apprenticeship or start a job with training.
So if you are considering a job or further study in a particular area, a Diploma could give you the edge over other applicants because it will teach you both the practical and the theoretical skills that are essential in the creative industries.
Further information
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