Electrician > Electrical Engineer

[king_11]

I'm starting to wonder if this course is going to be worth the time money and effort.

 

[king_11]

Unless you have studied electrical engineering at a lower level such as a Diploma or have good A-Levels I doubt you would be accepted onto a degree course (or even a HND for that matter).

I would do what you suggested in your original post and do a HNC. See how you like it and then you could either go onto a degree or do a extra year and get a HND. Electrical engineering covers a huge field and there is plenty opportunity out there. The problem is starting out, the pay may be not as good as your used to and you may have to go down before you get back up again.

Hi thanks for reply .

Are you in engineering? and what sort of jobs can you get with this qual ?

Thanks

 

[trev]

Teesside University do an open learning HND, if you don't have an HNC or equivalent they might want you to do a bridging maths qual before they'll let you on to it but it's worth taking a look at

 

[king_11]

With a hnd do you get marked 2:1 ect ?

 

[jimmymac]

With a hnd do you get marked 2:1 ect ?

Not up here you don't, it's just a pass or fail. If you do fail you won't be awarded the HND but you would be awarded certificates for the units which you did pass. For a HND I think there's 30 units in total

 

[R G]

You could also try the JRC course at Glasgow university I believe , instead of the HNC ...
You could learn a lot there ...

 

[trev]

You could also try the JRC course at Glasgow university I believe , instead of the HNC ...
You could learn a lot there ...

Is that JRC Properties? bugger owes me a grand!

 

[Paulgwat]

Hi Ash,

When you say you want to become an electrical engineer what specifically are you interested in doing - that definition is so wide it could cover a multitude of areas some of which might benefit from very specific qualifications and with other areas being much more about gaining experience. Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years time?

i graduated from uni with an HND in Electrical Engineering and a BEng Hons in Electronic Engineering during the mid to late 90's. I spent the first two years doing an HND and after completing that went directly on to the 2nd year of the degree, completed a year in industry and then went back and completed my final year.

The HND was awarded as either Pass, Merit or Distinction and the degree was the standard 2:1 etc

During that 5 year period I either studied the theory behind or worked on everything from 3 phase motor control through to long distance fibre optic transmission systems and RF and Microwave and even software programming and business management, so the potential number of directions to go in was huge - I believe nowadays there are significantly more areas of specialisation available in the 3rd year of a degree if you really have a specialist niche you want to concentrate on.

For me the HND was much more about the practical side of things and you had to just accept that some things were the way they were on the theory side - the degree was much more about the theory behind the why's and as others have mentioned was much more in depth in terms of the maths.

My advice to you would be the same as that I have given friends kids on leaving school, understand what you are trying to achieve by getting the qualifications and balance this against what it will cost you to get them ( the cost is not only monetary - an engineering degree isn't completed in 2-3 hours a week like some other degrees) at the end of the day you may find a specific apprenticeship or more focused training in industry will get you to where you want to be.

cheers

paul

 

[Engineer54]

Just to muddy the waters a little further, from 1999 to gain/obtain entry for Chartered Engineer in any of the the chartered institutes you needed a minimum of a BS hons degree. A non hons degree and HND( gained after 1999) with ten years proven experience was no longer acceptable. Reason, ...the standards associated with these qualification levels was deemed below the minimum acceptable.


Whether that has changed now, i can't say....

 

[king_11]

Hi Ash,

When you say you want to become an electrical engineer what specifically are you interested in doing - that definition is so wide it could cover a multitude of areas some of which might benefit from very specific qualifications and with other areas being much more about gaining experience. Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years time?

i graduated from uni with an HND in Electrical Engineering and a BEng Hons in Electronic Engineering during the mid to late 90's. I spent the first two years doing an HND and after completing that went directly on to the 2nd year of the degree, completed a year in industry and then went back and completed my final year.

The HND was awarded as either Pass, Merit or Distinction and the degree was the standard 2:1 etc

During that 5 year period I either studied the theory behind or worked on everything from 3 phase motor control through to long distance fibre optic transmission systems and RF and Microwave and even software programming and business management, so the potential number of directions to go in was huge - I believe nowadays there are significantly more areas of specialisation available in the 3rd year of a degree if you really have a specialist niche you want to concentrate on.

For me the HND was much more about the practical side of things and you had to just accept that some things were the way they were on the theory side - the degree was much more about the theory behind the why's and as others have mentioned was much more in depth in terms of the maths.

My advice to you would be the same as that I have given friends kids on leaving school, understand what you are trying to achieve by getting the qualifications and balance this against what it will cost you to get them ( the cost is not only monetary - an engineering degree isn't completed in 2-3 hours a week like some other degrees) at the end of the day you may find a specific apprenticeship or more focused training in industry will get you to where you want to be.

cheers

paul

Hi Paul thanks for the advice .

I'm really not sure on where I'll be in 5 years because I know very little about the industry .

All I know is I am keen to learn more and open my eyes to the world of engineering.

Are you saying I need a work placement to succeed ?

Thanks

Ash

 

[king_11]

You could also try the JRC course at Glasgow university I believe , instead of the HNC ...
You could learn a lot there ...

Really , how so?

 

[Paulgwat]

Hi Paul thanks for the advice .

I'm really not sure on where I'll be in 5 years because I know very little about the industry .

All I know is I am keen to learn more and open my eyes to the world of engineering.

Are you saying I need a work placement to succeed ?

Thanks

Ash

Hi Ash,


not at all, the work placement was part of my course and unless you had a good excuse (like joining the military or employer funding) you had to do it. In my experience the old polytechnics have the best links into industry - when I was at uni we had people go on placements with everyone from mars confectionary (they used to make their own vending machines) to computer companies and even television ( a couple of mates went into outside broadcast engineering and related areas).


the placement is basically a 12 month interview both of you by the company and also you looking at the industry or specific company you do your placement with and an opportunity to see if that fits your ideas in life.


It is very easy to be convinced that gaining a degree will improve your earning potential but by the time you take into account 30-50k of debts for getting it you may have a costly realisation at the end of it if you don't choose wisely - i have just walked away from a 6 figure salary to have a complete change and work for myself doing something I believe I will enjoy - what made me do it; a moment of boredom had me working out how much I earned an hour and it wasn't much more than someone flipping burgers and they weren't regularly doing that at 2am!!


If you aren't sure what you want to do it may make sense to do an HNC or something in your spare time to see if you enjoy it and more importantly it may open your eyes to new opportunities that will help you formulate a plan for the future.


Cheers


Paul

 

[UKMeterman]

Hi,
Have a look at the National Grid. National Grid Careers - The Programmes

 

[king_11]

Hi,
Have a look at the National Grid. National Grid Careers - The Programmes

That's looks interesting and have now applied . Are you aware of any others ?

Thanks

 

[king_11]

Hi Ash,


not at all, the work placement was part of my course and unless you had a good excuse (like joining the military or employer funding) you had to do it. In my experience the old polytechnics have the best links into industry - when I was at uni we had people go on placements with everyone from mars confectionary (they used to make their own vending machines) to computer companies and even television ( a couple of mates went into outside broadcast engineering and related areas).


the placement is basically a 12 month interview both of you by the company and also you looking at the industry or specific company you do your placement with and an opportunity to see if that fits your ideas in life.


It is very easy to be convinced that gaining a degree will improve your earning potential but by the time you take into account 30-50k of debts for getting it you may have a costly realisation at the end of it if you don't choose wisely - i have just walked away from a 6 figure salary to have a complete change and work for myself doing something I believe I will enjoy - what made me do it; a moment of boredom had me working out how much I earned an hour and it wasn't much more than someone flipping burgers and they weren't regularly doing that at 2am!!


If you aren't sure what you want to do it may make sense to do an HNC or something in your spare time to see if you enjoy it and more importantly it may open your eyes to new opportunities that will help you formulate a plan for the future.


Cheers


Paul

Can I ask what you walked away from and what you are doing now ?

 

[WM123]

I'm starting to wonder if this course is going to be worth the time money and effort.

Hi King,

I have to say that the HNC will bring the most bang for buck and open may doors. I think the degree would be too long, too much work with too little reward. Not to mention then having to start of as a trainee.

A HNC with your experience would get you a well payed electrical maintenance job (30-40k in the Midlands). Proving yourself here would naturally lead you to an engineers role.
Seems to be the normal route where i work and the other lads on my course (2nd Year HNC).

In answers to your doubts, i think you should 100% go for it. It will be hard, but if you have the motivation at 27 to go back to education you'll smash it.

 

[king_11]

Hi King,

I have to say that the HNC will bring the most bang for buck and open may doors. I think the degree would be too long, too much work with too little reward. Not to mention then having to start of as a trainee.

A HNC with your experience would get you a well payed electrical maintenance job (30-40k in the Midlands). Proving yourself here would naturally lead you to an engineers role.
Seems to be the normal route where i work and the other lads on my course (2nd Year HNC).

In answers to your doubts, i think you should 100% go for it. It will be hard, but if you have the motivation at 27 to go back to education you'll smash it.

The word maintenance electrician sends chills down my spine. Working in a food factory as an "maintenance electrician" worst 6 weeks of my life lol.

I'm guessing all maintenance jobs are factory based ?

Where do you work?

Think I'll only be able to do distance learning also.

Thanks

 

[trev]

I'm guessing all maintenance jobs are factory based ?

Guess again.

 

[king_11]

Guess again.

They are not ?

 

[trev]

No, I did it in a hospital in Saudi years ago. The majority probably are industrially based because if a plant or a process goes down it could be eye wateringly expensive to have to wait for someone to turn up with the right tools and knowledge to put things right so in a situation like that it pays to have some people on the payroll but they're not just limited to industry.