I am currently working for an automation company in cardiff and just finished my hnc part-time. In my role all i do is panel build and install and don't see any engineering. Its seems like am not getting enough experience which my hnc not very useful at the momment .am considering my options and trying to come up with a plan of what to do next?

I have had a couple of offers from uni's to study for an Beng in electrical engineering next year. One with direct entry to year 2, but not a well known uni and entry into year 1 of a top uni.

am also considering applying for new roles with a larger companies but so far i haven't got enough experience and haven't found many junior/trainee roles.

Am pretty certain that i would be able to carry on and do a hnd top-up next year in my current role. But am not certain that I would be in the same position but a year down the line.

i'd be very greatful for any thoughts on the matter or you have been in my shoes.

You won't get better offers with an HND when you eventually switch to degree.

I'd be interested to know which two uni you received offers from though?

cardiff uni and newport.i did my hnc at uwic but they have now scrapped engineering.

Hi

Another option is the Open University's BEng (Hons) and yes I am a student.

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James Garrity BEng (Hons) MIET

Hi,
You are quite similar to my past experience, I served my time as an electro / mechanical apprentice, in which I did my ONC & HND part time. Like you I could not decide upon HND, after a great deal of thought I went for doing a BEng (Hons) degree part time, whilst I was still carrying out my technician job and gaining experience as I went. After I had a few more years experience under my belt I went for bigger jobs and then after gaining my degree I moved on again. Then from that I moved on again and gained my CEng.

I would suggest, although others may disagree, that a HND may not be the best option if you want to advance further, also I still did my first year of the degree as the maths etc helped for going into the following years. It may seem like a good idea to be able to miss a year but I know some people who have struggled a bit as they did not have the grounding that the first year gives.

Also I don't know how much the name of the Uni counts, if the course is accredited you can still progress on. The univeristy I went to was not a well known one.

I would go for the degree and carry on gaining your valuable experience as you go on.

Cheers

Kevin

cheers kevin,
I would carry down that path but I can't enough experience in my current job and they expcet a great deal of overtime. I think it would a hard task to get a degree done part-time or distance.

I also haven't been able to find any trainee engineer role to go into and progress in. Or they are very competive and alot of people apply for them.

So i think i'll go into the first year of cardiff because it could be a big leap to second year and its has modules on power engineering which most gradute jobs can be found.

I also nearly got onto the national grid foundation engineer scheme and was really impressed with the company and its work when i had my assesment.

If you are intrested in Power, there are a few other Engineering devolopment schemes (I know of EDF Energy and SSE, I'm sure there are more).

I'm on the graduate scheme for one of the large DNO's, feel free to PM me if you want to know anything. I went through the HND/BEng route as well.

If you are going to Cardiff, look into the Power Acadamy, It's a brilliant scheme if yo ucan get on it.

Simon

I will apply for the power acadamy and I have aslo applied for a role with brittish energy(edf).

Thanks for the help simon.