Young people, parents, educators and employers from across England will be taking part in a special event at The Lowry in Manchester on 16 March, to celebrate the first six months of the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE). The event is one of a nationwide series to celebrate six months of successful delivery of the first five Diplomas, which launched in September 2008.

Interested businesses will be able to discuss the benefits of becoming part of a consortium, with leading C&BE firms already engaged with the Diploma, whilst young people and parents will get a chance to hear about the Diploma in C&BE from current students. They will also get to network with prospective employers from some of the country’s leading C&BE firms, including Balfour Beatty, Seddon Group and Bovis.

The Diploma is already proving popular with employers. As Roy Cavanagh, Training Manager at the Seddon Group, explained: ‘We anticipate the Diploma will provide a pipeline of talent into our apprentice and management trainee programmes.’

Students on the course are equally enthusiastic. As Alex Cottrell, a student at Barnsley College, said: ’I’m really enjoying the Diploma in C&BE. I like the way it balances theory with practical experience.’

ConstructionSkills was the lead partner in the development of the Diploma in C&BE, which provides a programme of applied and practical learning in the context of C&BE, with considerable input from employers. For more information visit www.cbediploma.co.uk/