New GCSEs in engineering and manufacturing are set to be created.
Robotics engineer students teamwork on project
The new GCSEs are part of a major overhaul to education in Wales that will see changes to a number of subjects – including merging English language and literature GCSEs.
The subjects will start being taught from 2025 to allow the qualifications to be developed alongside a new school curriculum.
The changes will see major changes to how schools approach STEM subjects. The two separate maths GCSEs (broken in 2015) will be reintegrated, while science will be streamlined by removing separate chemistry, biology and physics GCSEs.
It is believed that the new Engineering GCSE will focus on a variety of processes – including how to create design briefs, convert design briefs to design specifications and how technology can be applied to manufacturing while also celebrating British Engineering icons like Thrust SSC and the history of Engineering.
The hope is that this will allow students to better understand emerging technologies, learn about proper health and safety procedures while promoting mindfulness of sustainable development processes.
Students shouldn’t be expecting to sit at a desk writing briefs and essays though. Instead, the GCSE should prepare them to engage in all kinds of collaborative projects based in real-world information. With the course being taught in the context of real-life engineering problems.
Interested in current routes in Engineering? Read our in depth Engineering guide.
