Tate & Lyle backs manufacturing diploma

Ken Wilson, community affairs manager at Tate & Lyle, has become an employer champion for the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design (MPD), which is set to launch in September. One of the government’s new qualifications for 14 to 19-year olds, the Diploma in MPD has been designed to open young people’s eyes to the diversity and challenges to be found in manufacturing, as well as to provide a solid foundation for a career in industry. Employers will play an important role in the delivery of the Diploma in MPD by joining consortia – partnerships of schools, colleges and local companies. Students will split their time between the classroom, college, and the workplace, which will allow them to apply the theory they learn in class to the real-life demands of manufacturing. “The Diploma in MPD provides an alternative route for young people to enter the industry,” Wilson said. “A purely academic route isn’t necessarily the right one. Students who undertake the Diploma in MPD are more likely to understand how industry works, and to have realistic expectations of what happens in the workplace. They are therefore more likely to become long-term employees. This will help companies save on recruitment costs, as it increases the chances of recruiting the right people first time.” Although the Diploma is an England-wide initiative, the nature of delivery means that employers will engage with local schools and colleges, which will allow companies to reap the benefits of investing in their communities.