Electrical Engineer.

[Specialist]

You sure it's not you being so close to us ?

 

[stitch]

I did my HND and BSc in Electrical / Electronic Engineering at Alban Rd in Llanelli, just before they were moving everything to the Graig Campus. Both courses were more theory than practical and then there was the maths, talk about intense. :crazy:

 

[Engineer54]

There was little practical work involved in any of the ''Ordinary'' or ''Higher'' certificate or Diploma courses, as it was considered you would be in full time employment within the industry. (it was in my day anyway) As all these courses were generally taken as ''improvment courses'' that were day release and two nights a week part time courses, (which for most was indeed the case)

My company had it's own in-house dedicated training school/collage where all training was full time, with X amount of days a month on the tools, assigned to working with fully qualified electricians within the companies many departments/factories. Also the in-house training school followed the same term durations as schools and collages in the public sector, so during all normal collage holidays and breaks, we were back in the company work places gaining experience on the tools. Our holidays followed the factory holiday/shutdowns.

As i see it, that system of training benefited the students in at least 2 important areas. Firstly, learning and retaining what was being taught is much easier on a full time basis without week long breaks. Secondly, it didn't take anywhere near 2 years to complete these courses.

 

[Specialist]

The problem with the way these courses are run is that they lead the youngsters to believe they're going to be ready to go out into the real world after the course & we all know that just aint going to happen. So far with the course she's on they are doing pratical install work such as ring mains etc but none of the other stuff that goes along with it & basically they don't understand why they're doing it.

 

[Specialist]

There was little practical work involved in any of the ''Ordinary'' or ''Higher'' certificate or Diploma courses, as it was considered you would be in full time employment within the industry. (it was in my day anyway) As all these courses were generally taken as ''improvment courses'' that were day release and two nights a week part time courses, (which for most was indeed the case)

My company had it's own in-house dedicated training school/collage where all training was full time, with X amount of days a month on the tools, assigned to working with fully qualified electricians within the companies many departments/factories. Also the in-house training school followed the same term durations as schools and collages in the public sector, so during all normal collage holidays and breaks, we were back in the company work places gaining experience on the tools. Our holidays followed the factory holiday/shutdowns.

As i see it, that system of training benefited the students in at least 2 important areas. Firstly, learning and retaining what was being taught is much easier on a full time basis without week long breaks. Secondly, it didn't take anywhere near 2 years to complete these courses.

Yep & that sort of training is what gave us a lot of really good engineers & electricians. The way they do it now is that although they spend 5 days a week in college it's 4 days theory & 1 supposedly practical, which in itself is ok but in both the practical and theory they seem to be leaving big chunks out. They do have 5 weeks as work experience but for that they can send them anywhere, i.e a Carpentry firm or a builders merchant etc it does'nt have to ahve anything to do with what they're studying. For example 1 boy was sent to a Builders & walked after 2 days because they had him sweeping up all the time.

 

[Engineer54]

The problem with the way these courses are run is that they lead the youngsters to believe they're going to be ready to go out into the real world after the course & we all know that just aint going to happen. So far with the course she's on they are doing pratical install work such as ring mains etc but none of the other stuff that goes along with it & basically they don't understand why they're doing it.

That has always been the problem with Youngsters going straight to degree level!! One of the reasons why ''Sandwich Degree's'' came about, in that a sandwich Degree is part time with employer and part time at Uni. The problem for students, that most didn't like, was Sandwich degree's were 4 year courses!! But you came out after those 4 years, with your Degree AND a good working experience....

 

[Specialist]

Hi 54: It's not actually a HNC or HND they're doing, it's a B Tec course which according to the way they punt it should lead on to a Career as an Electrical / Electronic engineer & give them the nescessary skills & underpining knowledge to go out into the workplace.

 

[ACDC]

I did my HND and BSc in Electrical / Electronic Engineering at Alban Rd in Llanelli, just before they were moving everything to the Graig Campus. Both courses were more theory than practical and then there was the maths, talk about intense. :crazy:

Blimey, i was there when they moved from Alban Road, its a big housing estate now..RIP.
Its a small world.

 

[sbrown2]

Too go into the big world and start to become an engineer. The question with the course your daughter is doing is why do you have to learn abbout a RCD. The course is generic and should be educating your daughter with a view to core balance transfomers, current transformer sensitive earth leakage systems and maybe the need for a resistor in the link to earth. All of this theory and relating it root 3 ( I think!) will enable here to go into different industries.

 

[Specialist]

Probably helpful to learn about RCD's, Earthing Arrangements etc before she goes out into the trade & starts having to deal with them without knowing what they are or what they do. As for the Transformers they don't teach that either. I'm trying to find out exactly what they are supposed to be learning, especially after she asked the instructor about armoured & Pyro etc & was told they will be shown what it is but won't learn how to work it or terminate it because they won't need to know about that sort of stuff.

 

[Guest123]

It seems that she is expecting to be on an installation electricians course such as the C&G 2330 but is actaully on a type of electrical engineering course. The two disciplines differ greatly.

Is she sure she is on the correct course for what she wants to do??

Do you have the course title??

 

[Engineer54]

Looks like it's going to be all down to YOU mate, to give your daughter an insight into the practical side of the electrical industry!!! She sure doesn't sound as if she'll be getting much of it from that course she's on!! lol!!!

 

[Specialist]

Hi Lenny: No it was'nt supposed to be an Installation Electricians course as such, it was supposed to cover: Installation, Testing & Fault Finding of Electrical installations and Electronic / PLC systems. What she wants to do is Industrial Electrics / Electronics & eventually specialise in Automation / Machinery.

The course is the B tec Electrical / Electronic Engineering.

 

[Specialist]

Looks like it's going to be all down to YOU mate, to give your daughter an insight into the practical side of the electrical industry!!! She sure doesn't sound as if she'll be getting much of it from that course she's on!! lol!!!

Wish I could mate, but due to a serious health problem it does'nt look like i'll be in the trade to do so.

 

[Engineer54]

Sorry to hear that Specialist, let's all hope things change for the better for you...

 

[Guest123]

I've always been confused by the BTEC's.

Sounds like it's the level 3 she's doing, there are some elective modules that she could choose based on electrical installation.

 

[sbrown2]

I've always thought that the BTEC courses were those that bridged the practical aspects of a job to a decent dose of theory. I did a BTEC computers and electronics when I left school. I only got to level 2 though. But I learnt the basics in assembly language and BASIC (good for statement list inservo's and robots) how to solder on veriboard basic electronic/electrical components and resistors, capacitors etc. This allowed me to catch up after school and got me my apprenticeship.

 

[Specialist]

Sorry to hear that Specialist, let's all hope things change for the better for you...

Cheers mate, Appreciate that.