GETTING THERE

GETTING THERE

FULL-TIME FURTHER EDUCATION
WHO GOES TO COLLEGE?

Not everyone wants to spend years doing full-time academic study at uni. On the other hand, you may not want to give up studying completely. Instead, you may want to study at a college to do an advanced GNVQ in engineering (equivalent to two A levels) or a full-time BTEC course

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET IN?

Advanced GNVQ courses usually ask for four passes (A-C) at GCSE, including English, maths and science. Otherwise you can do an intermediate GNVQ and then get on to the advanced course.

BTEC National Diplomas/Certificates usually ask for four passes (A-C) at GCSE, including English, maths and science. Otherwise you can do a BTEC First Certificate and then get on to the National course

WHAT TYPE OF QUALIFICATIONS ARE THERE?

Engineering GNVQs are a range of awards which are given at various levels and combine background knowledge, practical skills and technical know-how. They are offered by some schools and a range of further education colleges. These qualifications are equivalent to academic qualifications, from a few medium-grade GCSEs to two A levels, depending on the level you reach. They're usually studied full time

BTEC programmes are a combination of theory and practice. BTEC Certificates are mostly studied part-time by people who work for a company but you can do them as full-time courses too. BTEC Diplomas are studied full-time over two years. The BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) can be studied afterwards or you can enter an HND course with A levels

WHERE WILL I WORK AFTERWARDS?

Technicians can work as:

draftspeople - drafting plans and documents, often using the latest computer technology
estimators - working out how much it will cost to design and make a product
quality assurance technicians - making sure that the product is just right
inspectors - making sure that everything is running as it should
planners - scheduling everyone else's work
laboratory technicians - helping with research and testing, sometimes at supervisory levels.

Technicians are involved in many sides of engineering. You might help develop new ideas and work with other departments in your organisation.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO AFTER TRAINING?

University degrees If you have a more academic interest in engineering, you may want to go on to one of the many different engineering degrees at university. For more information see UNIVERSITY.

When you reach the required standard and your training has been approved by the relevant professional engineering institution, you can apply to be registered as one of the following:

Engineering technician You need an advanced engineering GNVQ or a BTEC National Certificate and two years of responsible engineering experience at the right level. You will probably be at least 21 years old.

Incorporated technician You need a BTEC Higher National Certificate/Diploma and two years of responsible engineering experience at the right level and you are at least 21 years old.