Careers Brief - Engineering (Mechanical Design) HNC/FdSc
Overview
The part-time HNC in Engineering (Mechanical Design) offers you a nationally recognised qualification to enhance your career development and the opportunity to continue your studies in higher education.
Success on the part-time Foundation degree provides both a higher level of qualification and stepping stone to a Top-up Honours degree.
As a Design Engineer, you could be aiming to progress into senior design posts or project management, move into research and development, work as a consultant or self-employed on contracts, or move into other branches of engineering and product design. You could be working in a small or large design studio, design consultancy, production company or in-house within a major company.
Employers are looking for multi-skilled practitioners, with technical knowledge and creativity. In addition to your experience with relevant software, you should also promote general key transferable skills and competencies you have developed, including: being adaptable and a quick learner; effective communication; team working and working on your own initiative; analysing information and problem solving; multi-tasking and the ability to work to deadlines.
Use the website links below to find out more.
Further Study
You will be able to apply for a Top-up degree. Top-up degree courses are designed as direct progression from Foundation degree to achieve an Ordinary or Honours degree.
Alternatively, you could transfer into an Honours degree course. Entry point would depend on your qualification, grades, industrial experience and overlap between courses but could be into the final year.
Use the Links on the HE Home page for information on the BSc (Hons) Design Engineering Top-up degree at Bournemouth University (click on sub-heading 'Courses'), studied full-time or part-time.
To search for degree courses go to www.ucas.com/ (UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service for the UK). Use the university/college links for course details.
You will need to use UCAS to apply for courses. Contact the Course Tutor of your chosen course to find out your position, before you make your formal application.
Find out how much this will cost you. Where is your funding coming from? Go to the university/college site for information on course costs and finance and to www.direct.gov.uk/uni/ for additional information on student support.
With a good Honours degree (First or 2.1), you could progress onto an appropriate higher level Masters and/or PhD doctorate. This could be to develop your area of study to a more in-depth practical and/or academic level or to gain other specialist training.
For information on all postgraduate courses and research, go to the national online directory at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pgstudy/ .
Go to the main section Further Study of this Guide for more information and help.
Resources
The Institution of Engineering and Technology - click on sub-heading 'Careers & training' + 'Education'
Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies - go to Sector overview + side-heading 'Careers & Qualifications'
ETB - for Job Profiles go to 'Real life engineering'
Graduate Prospects - online national careers service for HE students studying in the UK:
- Drop down 'Career advice' and click on 'Use your qualification' for 'Your foundation degree...what next?'
- Drop down 'Sectors' and click on 'Engineering & manufacturing'
- Drop down 'Jobs & work' and click on 'What jobs would suit me?' for Prospects Planner
http://jobseekers.direct.gov.uk/
Careers database and links to jobs nationally. Search by either clicking on side-heading 'Careers' and choose a category or type in job title.
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/
Careers Advice Service
www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u
Jobs4U Careers Database - click on sub-heading 'Job Families & Articles' or Quick Search by typing in job title
The Institution of Engineering Designers - go to sub-heading 'Careers'
Engineering & technology careers & news
GTI publication for graduate jobs and careers intelligence - go to sub-headings 'Career sectors' + 'Careers advice'
Hobsons/GTI graduate careers publication - Careers advice section
Inside Careers publication - specialists in Graduate Careers
The Directory of Design Consultants
Engineering Council UK - professional registration
BCS The Chartered Institute for IT - drop down sub-heading 'Qualifications, Training, Careers' to click on 'Careers' + 'Students'
Go to the Job Applications section of this Careers Guide for additional help and advice with making applications.
