Bicester schools will be among the first in the country to pilot the Government's new vocational diplomas - and have been given £1m to help prepare for the launch.

The diplomas are part of the Government's controversial reforms to education for 14- to 19-year-olds.

Bicester Community College led a group of schools bidding for the money, which will be used to pilot an engineering diploma in the town from 2008.

New teaching equipment will be provided at the college, The Cooper School and Oxford and Cherwell Valley College's Bicester campus.

Some of the money will be used to launch a young apprenticeship programme in Didcot.

At The Cooper School, engineering facilities will be improved. Headteacher Ben Baxter said: "We have already planned to increase our capacity for engineering courses for September. This will now enable us to provide better equipment and resources and will help to address skills shortage in the area."

Bicester Community College will use its portion of the cash for a fully-equipped electronics lab and on subjects complementing the diploma, such as maths and physics.

Headteacher Cynthia Bartlett said: "It's a huge amount of money for Bicester to have.

"The partnership has had much success in developing work-related courses and providing students with opportunities for accreditation at different levels."

She added: "I think this award reflects the expertise we have been building up and the goodwill of local employers who are aware of the good work the partnership is doing."

Mrs Bartlett added that pupils at schools near Bicester - including those in Kidlington, Wheatley and Thame - would also be able to use the new facilities.

Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, which has a performance engineering centre in Telford Road, will get a new mezzanine floor funded by the grant to offer extra facilities to students.

Staff will also receive £30,000 for training to teach the course.

The diplomas are designed to mix academic and vocational qualifications. The Government says all teenagers will be entitled to study for diplomas by 2013.