Blueprint 1000®
The initiative engages industry partners, who are keen to actively connect with schools and play a major part in offering high quality teacher CPD and ongoing real-world support, for teachers and pupils.
The aim, in connecting industry with education, is to help contextualise and further your subject-knowledge to ensure lessons are relevant and up-to-date for your students as they leave education and enter the workplace. Ultimately, we will be working with teachers, pupils and industry to build an inspiring, innovative and proficient workforce by supporting Design & Technology education in our schools & colleges.
How it works!
A company, in your region becomes a D&T Association Blueprint 1000 member. They are organisations who are keen to engage and work with schools in your area and connect with pupils. But everyone benefits!
Teachers benefit
- Industry can help put parts of the D&T curriculum perfectly into perspective - giving further understanding about how and why it is important to young people's future careers
- Provides teachers with greater understanding of the needs of industry, that will feed into the teaching of the subject
- Teachers receive free D&T subject specific CPD and an understanding of working life in the regional company
- Teachers’ supply cover is paid so there is minimal disruption and no cost to the school
- Teachers can benefit from 3-5-day industry placements, in a local company from a range of sectors
"Today is the first day, in which I will operate my classroom as a design agency", Stephanie Tomlinson, Queen Elizabeth's, Barnet... Watch now
Pupils benefit
- With the help of industry, pupils can put into perspective and context, the importance of achieving in all subjects to gain experience of real-life learning and ultimately their dream first job
- Industry can ensure pupils understand what is expected from them upon entering the workplace, alongside the wealth of knowledge they are taught in the classroom
- Gives classroom projects a real-life perspective and inspires pupils to succeed
- Pupils gain good understanding of how briefs and projects are undertaken in the real world of work
Industry benefits in a number of ways
- By becoming more visible and better known in the community by teachers, pupils and parents
- Be recognised in the media as a strong supporter of education, locally and in practical, meaningful ways
- Their corporate social responsibility is fully addressed, enabling them to give back to the community
- Achieves their aim to become an employer of choice in the area
- Offers a method of finding a pipeline of suitable new recruits for their company who are already interested in the sector they operate within
- Helps them to build quality relationships with education
- Gain a greater understanding of the challenges facing education and understand how to engage with schools more effectively
"After hearing about the Blueprint 1000 initiative I realised how the TiR program could improve the disconnect between schools and industry". Debbie Inman, Talent Manager at Bulletproof...Watch now
“This is a wonderful initiative giving design and technology teachers the opportunity to see how engineers work in businesses such as Dyson. It is encouraging to know that teachers will be equipped with industry-relevant knowledge and skills to teach young people about the exciting, creative and challenging world of engineering.” - Sir James Dyson
Why is Blueprint 1000 so important?
Great Britain has a long and proud heritage in design, engineering, and manufacturing. In many sectors we have led the world – and still do. Our reputation for design remains high, but across a number of sectors the skills gap is widening, and we are currently facing challenges.
It is imperative that we become even more proactive with business and industry by working to increase the profile of D&T in schools and to highlight the exciting career prospects for young people studying the subject.
And not just helping young people ‘get a job’, but work that has purpose as they use their ideas and energy and apply their problem-solving skills, learned in D&T, to address modern day pressing issues. Creative and innovative thinking helps to address the many social and environmental issues threatening our world.
We are the Design and Technology Association and we are committed to joining up the worlds of education and industry because where technology and creativity meet... that’s where the magic happens! Go to the Blueprint 1000 website and find out how you can bet involved
Join Now
Design and Technology (D&T) is the inspiring, rigorous and practical subject which prepares all young people to live and work in the designed and made world.
We are focused on giving you the tools, knowledge and information you need to become more effective, more experienced and more efficient. Giving you access to expert opinions. And creating a place where you can air your views, ask your questions and so help make a difference to your life and those of your pupils. We want to hear from you. We want to know how we can help. And we want you to join us.
