OKEHAMPTON College will soon be adopting a new Government scheme and offering the nationally recognised diploma qualification.
A diploma is a qualification developed by employers and schools that is likened to the real world, such as in the building trade.
The two-year course offers an easier route into university or the world of work. There are ten designated lines of learning that will be slowly implemented into schools around the country.
As of September 2009, both Okehampton and Tavistock colleges will be delivering the first one of the diplomas on offer — 'Construction and the built environment'.
The course will teach students about how the buildings that surround us were put in place. All aspects of the built environment will be covered, from the practical to the financial sides of construction.
The diplomas will take up half a weekly school timetable (equivalent to 7 GCSEs A* to C) and will be available to students in Years 10 and 12.
By the year 2010, pupils of every school must have 'access' to all ten of the diploma subjects. They do not all have to be on site, but the colleges must be prepared to transport students to other centres.
To accommodate this new academic offering, plans are in place for a new building at Okehampton College, dedicated to the construction diploma.
The building will have two storeys, with the upper level having classrooms and computer equipment, and the lower being for practical work.
Coordinating the process is Phil Orton. He will be issuing a flyer with Okehampton College's December newsletter, providing an introduction to diplomas.
Mr Orton said: 'This is a really exciting development. It is the newest thing to hit schools nationwide and will offer lots of opportunities in terms of real skills to fit the workplace'.