Festo GB hosted the launch of a new Diploma in Engineering at its Brackmill headquarters recently. The launch ceremony was attended by 29 students from four schools in the area who expressed interest in the new qualification, together with parents and representatives of local educational establishments.

Valuable attainment

The director of Northampton 14-19 Collaboration, Nick Pyke, said: “This new diploma is an extremely valuable attainment for students – it is worth up to seven GCSEs. Initially, we are only offering it to a small number of students, because we want to monitor progress closely to ensure that we get things right. But judging by the interest that is being shown by students in the area, we are likely to consider rolling it out to a larger group over time.

Worth pursuing

Philip Wallington from Kingsthorpe College and Austyn Beeching-Smith from Northampton College both stated that they were very pleased at the introduction of such a high level engineering course. Outlining the various modules that would be taught, Beeching-Smith went on to say that the diploma was not an “easy” option for students, but involved considerable engineering-related maths and science study. Gary Wyles, managing director of Festo GB, commented: “We were delighted to host this event. By the end of the evening, I’m fairly certain that everyone present was convinced that a career in engineering is well worth pursuing.”