Electrical degree

[mcsharry10]

Hi guys

Im an electrician who is interested in going down a different route and am at present signed up to a extended engineering degree which starts mid september 1 year at college and then 3 years at uni.

On successful completion of the initial year you will automatically progress to a BSc or BEng course in one of the following areas:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Aero systems Engineering
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• Digital Systems and Computer Engineering
• Digital Communications and Electronics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Automotive Engineering
• Automotive Engineering with Motor sport
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Computer Aided Engineering
• Aero and Management
• Auto and Management
• Motorsport Technology
• Computer Aided Product Design
• Multimedia Technology
• Computers and Networks Technology
• Media Technology and Digital Broadcasting

I was wondering what employment oppurtunities this degree could present and whether or not its worth taking on as it would be full time and cost just under 30,000 pounds.
If anyone out there has an electrical degree or any input it would greatly help me.

Cheers guys

 

[telectrix]

well worth doing if you are prepared to emigrate to oz. in this country you have as much chance of opportrunity as you have of raising the titanic.

 

[stef]

Agreed. Why spend 30 grand and then end up unemployed? The majority of unemployed are university leavers with a degree. I would think more than twice doing a degree ...

 

[malcolmsanford]

Don't necessarily agree there Stef ...............if your degree is in advanced calculus of David Beckham's tattoos or some such stupid ones they do now then yes it's not worth the paper it's printed on .................but I think that an engineering or electrical degree would give you a pretty fair chance of picking up something ........

Got to admit the 30K is pretty eye watering ...................

 

[stef]

Yes, but most of the employers want experience which a uni leaver hasn't got. That is why so many uni leaves are unemployed or work overqualified in low payed jobs.

 

[RISElectrical]

Its always a trade off between a degree and experience. The lucky ones in the land get taken on due to experience and then the employer puts them through a degree.

 

[ackbarthestar]

£30k is extortionate. So you will need a plan to turn around your investment.
I would keep your training scheme as generic as possible, unless you have a job opportunity with training waiting.

and keep away from computing degrees since they are only tools which you'll need to learn as apart of any higher Engineering qualification.
Anything to do with computers only lasts ofr about 18 months so you would have to be fully employed in the industry otherwise you'll loose contact pdq.

As an example I worked alongside a Scientist once, who learnt FORTRAN to solve a problem; he didn't learn computer programming to solve a science.

 

[oldtimer]

If it is something you want to do then fine I take it you will be balancing work and study ? thing is the current environment is that people with new degrees are either unemployed or working i a supermarket you also have to look at the market with regards to where you want to work plus will you recoup the cost if you get a job

 

[johnboy6083]

have you considered another route.

Im due to start a HNC in elec engineering in a few weeks (day release), and the head of department has advised me to take extra modules alongside the HNC, and says that after 2 years part time with HNC, i could then gain a foundation degree in yr 3, which i beleive negates the need for the first 2 years of a normal elec eng degree.

Ive been looking around at jobs with a HNC in my field (im an installation electrician in the water industry).
Most of the jobs i have seen want a degree qualified engineer or a HNC/D engineer with relevant experience. I would consider going the HNC, then foundation dgree or HND route and if you want then go to degree later. This can be done part time, whilst your still earning.
If your in a job you dont enjoy, or have no prospects, then now might be the time to bite the bullet and apply for jobs with interesting companies and show them your ambition and knowledge. You never know, they may even fund your studies.

 

[plugsandsparks]

£30K, thats a serious decision ! - As you probably gather some of those degrees are targetted at certain industries and as such if, for example, you wanted to do aerospace eng. then i would be onto BAESystems, Airbus and the like to see if you can get on any programmes they are running for your under-grad intentions. Ditto digital broadcasting, A nice generic degree like Electrical and Electronic Eng. gives you the broadest scope for any area you may wish to specialise in.
Also check out the Unis and see how they work with employers for placement.
I did mine in the 80's when the gov paid the fees and the employer gave me an apprenticeship and workplacement, it was a 4 year degree (sandwich) they used to call it.
Although i was employed throughout the 4 years, i left 6months after graduating and used the degree as a ticket to get into a large corporation. My total debt was only about £1000 - its very different today. Good luck in your search, i would be knocking on the doors of large firms that can afford to support me. Many have websites dedicated to the undergrads and the like.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Oh forgot to mention Caterpillar are hiring (on the radio) also car industry is doing really well. They need alot of new blood to keep the business going so worth a punt.

 

[mcsharry10]

Oh forgot to mention Caterpillar are hiring (on the radio) also car industry is doing really well. They need alot of new blood to keep the business going so worth a punt.

Thanks plugsandsparks the info you provided is very helpfull especially as you have attained a degree im 24, jib qualified electrician and was just looking into a different area as work is very slow at the moment, im
out of work at the minuite and can only pick up agency jobs for a week here or there nothing sustainable so if taking on an electrical degree was going to lead to employment after completion it may be worth doing. Also although 30k is a lot of money you only start paying it back once your in employment and earning over 21k per year. I guess ive got a lot of thinking to do.

 

[Guest123]

Please keep all replies on topic.

Thank you.

 

[ackbarthestar]

No pun intended ?

Edit: whoops beaten to it......

 

[alarm man]

30k id forget it mate ,thats the type of course a sponser pays for,as said id go for the hnd/hnc part time a spark with that should do pretty well

 

[Bobster]

I stopped at my HND, would have liked to go on to do a degree, couldn't justify the costs. Plus with it being full time I'd have to leave work, unlike the HND which I did a few nights a week and most of my holiday entitlement.

 

[cogsey133]

Having a degree is no guarantee of getting work! I looked at becoming a teacher due to the so called positive discrimination taking placed; sought advice and was told yes we need more men into the job and if i went down that road then they would look on my application favourably. So off i go to the university of St Andrews do a 4 year masters then apply for my post grad pgce course only to find everything i was told was ********. Tried 3 times to get on the course only to find i had no chance. The result of this is i am back doing what i started out doing all these years ago being a humble spark....not that there is anything wrong with this but being a spark with an Ma in management and economics has caused problems when applying for jobs.

What i am getting at is this if it is right for you then do it but just go into it with your eyes open after giving it a lot of thought because not everything you are told is true.

Best of luck in whatever you decide

 

[plugsandsparks]

Thanks plugsandsparks the info you provided is very helpfull especially as you have attained a degree im 24, jib qualified electrician and was just looking into a different area as work is very slow at the moment, im
out of work at the minuite and can only pick up agency jobs for a week here or there nothing sustainable so if taking on an electrical degree was going to lead to employment after completion it may be worth doing. Also although 30k is a lot of money you only start paying it back once your in employment and earning over 21k per year. I guess ive got a lot of thinking to do.

Things to put in the pot before deciding:
What stuff do you really like, sounds daft but when i was an undergrad, i did not like the industry i was in, it was dirty, noisy, had to walk for miles every day, and some of the machines where quite scary (honest) i was really too young. I left for less money but better prospects and went into digital communications as my degree was ideal and no body had any idea what it was all about then.
As you are 24 hopefully you have an idea of what you would like to do. with your experience, you have something most dont. There is still good money in PLC design and programming ( i am picking this up again after 26 years away from it, not much has changed, really.
Good luck.

 

[mcsharry10]

I was thinking of going into electrical building services design /power generation as an engineer, but obviously even holding the degree i will have more experience as an electrician than a design engineer. I have seen quite a few jobs advertised with large companies taking on graduates but you would still effectively be a trainee engineer. Would doing a distance learning HNC/HND in engineering be better as would be part time and a third of the price ?. Also although this would not be a full degree it would be equivalent to two thirds of a degree with the possibility of making it up to a full degree at a later date.

 

[plugsandsparks]

In todays world, having a sponsor (large corp) behind you has to be No1, if they support you through a full time degree great , if they support you through a part time degree super and probably more likely nowadays.
You have great experience as a working sparky (this should not be underestimated)
Cannot advise about HNC/HND route, but if you are thinking about a profession, where your credentials will be needed by the company in marketing, i.e. business cards, CVs of engineers when taking on client work etc. A BSc going to Chartered Engineer is the well trodden route and some companies need these qualified people. Depends what the company want.

 

[cogsey133]

some degree courses give accreditation for prior learning hence HNC/ HND will give you credits for one or two years of the degree course. That said not all degree courses do this so depending on your chosen degree you may not be given the credits you are looking for so as i said in my previous post go into it with your eyes open. Contact the course provider and make sure you will be given credits for HNC/HND if you go down this route. MY daughter is finding out the hard way about this and is not being given credits for her course she is doing.

 

[Engineer54]

some degree courses give accreditation for prior learning hence HNC/ HND will give you credits for one or two years of the degree course. That said not all degree courses do this so depending on your chosen degree you may not be given the credits you are looking for so as i said in my previous post go into it with your eyes open. Contact the course provider and make sure you will be given credits for HNC/HND if you go down this route. MY daughter is finding out the hard way about this and is not being given credits for her course she is doing.

Now i know that things have changed more than just a little since my training days, but as far as i remember HNC gave you no credits towards any engineering degree course at that time,. But it was considered as an entry level qualification. The HND was however considered as a 1st year credit towards an Engineering degree course.

Unless you worked for my company that is, who were having none of it!! lol!! So i had to do the full 4 year sandwich degree course (company sponsored split on site/factory experience/academic course) , followed by another 9 months or so (as far as i can remember) full time, to get the higher degree. In those day's you also had to take on a subject that was albeit, unrelated to your main reading subject, and you needed a Pass mark in that too... lol!!!

Those thinking of going down the full time higher education route, need to stand back and think long and hard, if you are a mature student, with a family. ...Well worth the ride, if your spouse is working and with you all the way, and your both thinking more towards the future than the present.

 

[cogsey133]

Now i know that things have changed more than just a little since my training days, but as far as i remember HNC gave you no credits towards any engineering degree course at that time,. But it was considered as an entry level qualification. The HND was however considered as a 1st year credit towards an Engineering degree course.

Unless you worked for my company that is, who were having none of it!! lol!! So i had to do the full 4 year sandwich degree course (company sponsored split on site/factory experience/academic course) , followed by another 9 months or so (as far as i can remember) full time, to get the higher degree. In those day's you also had to take on a subject that was albeit, unrelated to your main reading subject, and you needed a Pass mark in that too... lol!!!

Those thinking of going down the full time higher education route, need to stand back and think long and hard, if you are a mature student, with a family. ...Well worth the ride, if your spouse is working and with you all the way, and your both thinking more towards the future than the present.

You are making the same points i was trying to make, thanks for that. I was offered exemption for the first two years of my course as i hold two HND's but chose not to accept and went straight into my first year of a four year degree. I was lucky to have a wife who works to support me as i went full time into it, only working during vacations from university. The HNC/ HND does give you credits however not in all degrees as i said my daughter is studying law and will be given no credit for her HND so the poster needs to stand back and think long and hard about it as you quite correctly suggest

 

[ackbarthestar]

Having a degree is no guarantee of getting work! I looked at becoming a teacher due to the so called positive discrimination taking placed; sought advice and was told yes we need more men into the job and if i went down that road then they would look on my application favourably. So off i go to the university of St Andrews do a 4 year masters then apply for my post grad pgce course only to find everything i was told was ********. Tried 3 times to get on the course only to find i had no chance. The result of this is i am back doing what i started out doing all these years ago being a humble spark....not that there is anything wrong with this but being a spark with an Ma in management and economics has caused problems when applying for jobs.

What i am getting at is this if it is right for you then do it but just go into it with your eyes open after giving it a lot of thought because not everything you are told is true.

Best of luck in whatever you decide

The best route into vocational teaching is to be able to do the job first. Up until recently, you got the teaching qualification on the job. If you look at the teaching adverts they all say, 'must have vocational experience, teacher training will be provided'.

As far as an MBA goes. Don't tell prospective employers since its on a need to know basis and it would not be in your interest to tell them that you had an advanced degree in 'Corporate poetry'.

We met lots of guys with HNC/Ds and degrees on site. You could always tell since they would give you a 'funny' handshake....., but seriously, the quality of their work was much higher than the normal sparks.

 

[cogsey133]

We met lots of guys with HNC/Ds and degrees on site. You could always tell since they would give you a 'funny' handshake....., but seriously, the quality of their work was much higher than the normal sparks.

We learned the handshake in first year......lol

 

[grantr37]

very few companies are willing to pay people through a degree course these days, up until about 2004 quite a few did, now they don't want to go there with a long stick....why should they when they can just leave the eager students to take up the costs and bills....there are so many people going to University now to study Engineering that they can just wait for them to come along asking for work, and take their pick...and with the Universities love of overseas students and the higher fees that they pay, you are hard pushed to get into the course you really want to do as they get oversubscribed and fill up from abroad in the first instance before you can get a look in at any possible vacancies....I got offered sponsorship by an electronics manufacturer and turned it down(I didn't want to be "owned" which was part of the deal-supposedly for 3 years) every last other person on my course took the offer and got about 3k a year (in addition to their student loan) and most also had weekend/night jobs as well.....the company closed up shop and moved production to Poland about 4 years later (1 year after the end of the course) and they all got laid off with a very few asked to move to Poland as managers, as far as I know they declined and joined the job queue as well after 1 year of work.....companies are more inclined to sponsor/pay for non local students these days and they do it through their overseas branches/subsidiaries ...