The Course

Principal Learning (learning you have to do)
This covers all you need to know about manufacturing and product design at the level you’re studying. You’ll get an insight into manufacturing, how it works and what skills you need to work within it. You’ll look at the UK and its place in global manufacturing, as well as the full range of activities, from design, procurement and human resources management to finance, marketing and issues like sustainability and globalisation.

Additional and specialist learning (options you can choose)
You can take specialist courses in manufacturing and product design as part of your Diploma. It might be in robot technology and how modern day manufacturers are using it. You could decide to focus on computer-aided design, maintenance operations or textiles. Or perhaps you might want to learn more about sales and marketing, or customer service.. You can choose to do a GCSE or A level in subjects like chemistry, physics or art, which might be useful for a university course. You can also pick subjects like art or history - studying a language could help with international opportunities manufacturing and product design.

Functional Skills
You’ll still do English, maths and ICT as part of your Diploma course. You’ll need them to get your Diploma qualification, and for whatever you go on to do next.

Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills
These are skills like team-working, creative thinking and self-management. You’ll need them for life, study and work, and they’ll help you to be a success whatever you do in the future.

Work Experience
On your Diploma course you’ll get to do at least 10 days work experience. It’s a great way to use the skills you’ve learnt in the classroom, and see what work is really like. You could spend time at a production factory, or with a design team who use computer-aided design to model new products. Maybe you’ll look at the end product, and how it’s launched, by spending time with a marketing or promotions agency.

Student Project
You can do your project about anything you like because you choose the topic, and how you’re going to present your work. You’ll need to show a wide range of the things you’ve learnt on your Diploma course, but what you do it on is up to you. It could be a written piece of work, like a report; an investigation or something practical. You might decide to do an industry challenge, like designing and manufacturing CO₂ powered Formula One cars and you could include your designs and drawings as part of the report. With the Food and Drink Schools Challenge, you could take each of the steps a company goes through before a product is sold. You could consider product development and manufacturing, right through to costing and marketing.