HNC/HND Electronic & Electrical Engineer

[1ManRiot]

Long story short, I did a CertHE in Software Engineering a few years ago. Since then I've completed an electrical based "advanced apprenticeship" which left me with a bundle of vocational qualifications.


What I'm asking is do I have enough to amount to a HNC in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, so that I can go from this to a HND in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, and if not, is there another vocational qualification I can undertake that would amount to the same so I can get on the HND topup?


This is what I have (I think):
NVQ Level 3 in Rail Engineering (City & Guilds 7558)
City & Guilds 2330 Level 2 and Level 3 Certificates in Electrotechnology
City & Guilds 2382 - BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installation IET 17th Edition Wiring Regulations
City & Guilds 2392 Level 2 Inspection and Testing
City & Guilds 2377 PAT Testing
City & Guilds 2394 Initial Verification and Certification
BTEC National Award in Engineering
NVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering Operations
Certificate of Higher Education in IT (Software Engineering)
ILM Level 3 in First Line Management
Key Skills, GCSEs & A-Levels grades A-C, and various industry specific courses


To me, doing a year of HNC seems a complete waste of time and money and I'll be covering all the same topics I've already done in one way or another already.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Long story short, I did a CertHE in Software Engineering a few years ago. Since then I've completed an electrical based "advanced apprenticeship" which left me with a bundle of vocational qualifications.


What I'm asking is do I have enough to amount to a HNC in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, so that I can go from this to a HND in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, and if not, is there another vocational qualification I can undertake that would amount to the same so I can get on the HND topup?


This is what I have (I think):
NVQ Level 3 in Rail Engineering (City & Guilds 7558)
City & Guilds 2330 Level 2 and Level 3 Certificates in Electrotechnology
City & Guilds 2382 - BS7671 Requirements for Electrical Installation IET 17th Edition Wiring Regulations Level 3
City & Guilds 2392 Level 2 Inspection and Testing Level 2
City & Guilds 2377 PAT Testing Level 3 (Figure that one out)
City & Guilds 2394 Initial Verification and Certification Level 3
BTEC National Award in Engineering Level ???
NVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering Operations
Certificate of Higher Education in IT (Software Engineering)
ILM Level 3 in First Line Management
Key Skills, GCSEs & A-Levels grades A-C, and various industry specific courses


To me, doing a year of HNC seems a complete waste of time and money and I'll be covering all the same topics I've already done in one way or another already.

Just recently the HNC was raised to a Level 5 from a Level 4 and that is under graduate 1st year level, so to be honest I think you may have to do it to achieve the HND

 

[telectrix]

was easier in our day malc. we had valves in radios, AVO analogue meters, and a set of tools from woolworths.

 

[1ManRiot]

That's fair enough, but I have a Level 5 (CertHE) just in a different subject. That standard of education, plus the electrically relevant vocational quals, I thought would have been enough to make application realistic? Can a "topup" course as this describes itself be applied for on a basis of merit, for example if I demonstrate a level of knowledge?

 

[malcolmsanford]

Is that Level 5 the BTEC on you have for engineering?

We are all guessing on here really, have you tried to contact a college to asking

 

[grantr37]

you will get onto the HND without any problem, but they will make you do the 2 years, you can however do it quicker as long as you are willing to go to about 8 hours of nightclasses every week, then you can finish it in 1 year, all that would happen if you did the HNC is that they would skip you to year 2 of the HND, they both run alongside each other...
The College Extend the offer of nightclasses to anyone who wants it, they all do it....the only people who have an issue are the young ones relying on a Student loan for most of their money, which I am fairly sure you won't be looking for a Student loan.....this is because the student loans agency demand that the full 2 years of the planned out course of classes and labs gets stuck to.....
As a mature student you will definately get a place on next years course, but you need to register an interest right now as these courses are so popular that they fill them up every year, then take in an extra 10 or 15 students, then that's it, doors closed until the next year...

When I was a Student, I had to go for an interview before the start of the courses that I did, they get you in and ask what kind of job you are looking for and basically look at you to see if you are interested in Electronics etc and have any previous experience etc......if you get invited in for a look at the college you need to go in and say hello or they will knock you back for the course....as they will think you are not that interested....the courses were overfilled when I was doing them and that was 10 years ago .....they are even more popular now.....so you need to be quick...but you will get a place providing you get your name in...



you can sit in on some classes, even during the day, if you ask just now.....and you can do some of the Units at the start of the new year towards the HND, you won't be able to enroll onto the daytime classes until after next summer as they will be jammed full but there will be plenty of room for you on the nightclasses, these will have about 20% of the daytime students on them looking to get finished earlier, especially those on "day release" from work as the colleges call it...that's the ones getting to do a course when they get paid at work but sent to college...

your HND course will be 3 days a week, most likely Monday to Wednesday, the night classes will run over 5 days....so you could work daytime on the other 2 days then go in to college after 5 and do the nightclasses...and you will probably want to work a day over the weekend as well.....lots of people do it this way...

 

[1ManRiot]

I've neglected to say that I work full time, that's why this topup is such a good option as it is 1 day a week for 32 weeks.

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