SWINDON has been chosen as one of the first places in the country to teach diplomas to young people.

Education and Skills Secretary Alan Johnson and Schools Minister Jim Knight yesterday announced the 97 local authorities who will take the scheme forward.

The aim of the new qualification is to encourage more 14 to 19-year-olds to stay in education and training by offering an alternative to traditional study. It has been designed to be a mix of vocational and academic.

Swindon submitted bids and has been given the green light in three of the five course areas - engineering, construction and the built environment and creative and media. A further course in IT is being planned for September 2009.

Students will study elements of these in school and college, with private training providers and employers.

Lynne Scragg, pictured, from the Swindon 14-19 Partnership, which submitted the proposal on behalf of the council and local education providers, said: "We are delighted, on behalf of the young people in Swindon, to have been so successful in our application. The partnership welcomes these new national qualifications and the improved choice and breadth of opportunity they will offer young people of all abilities.

"The diplomas provide the opportunity for learning in a much wider range of ways than those offered by the current GCSEs and A levels.

"They will enable students of all abilities to gain knowledge, understanding and hands-on experience of work and will equip them for further or higher education and long-term employability.

"The schools, colleges and training providers have all been working together on the proposal and developing a collaborative model for delivery. It is now time to work on the detailed planning to ensure a high quality programme for Swindon learners."

The diploma programme will be up and running by 2013.

Swindon College is heading the partnership in the construction and the built environment and engineering diplomas and will also be involved in the creative & media course in the partnership headed by Commonweal School.

An engineering and construction-specialised diploma centre, which will provide state-of-the-art facilities, will be built at the college's new North Star campus.

Mr Johnson said: "Diplomas will provide the missing link - creating the mix of vocational and academic education which we've lacked for so long. Their introduction is one of the most radical educational developments taking place anywhere in the world and we are putting funding, energy and commitment into making them a reality."

Each successful consortium of schools and colleges will receive £30,000 for each type of diploma they will offer, to help them train and recruit staff.

Other successful bids in the south west include West Wiltshire, North Somerset, Cheltenham and Dorset.