No level 3s and trying to find a way into Engineering as a 23 year old.
Current Situation:
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
Original post by MommaDuck
Current Situation:
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
Kind of doing the same thing at the moment (surpisingly in the same subjects).
You can do BTECs, but they usually cost £3000-3500 or so right out of pocket.
Access would fare better, but the colleges that offer courses that has 15 credits in chemistry, 15 in physics, and 15 in maths (these credits in these proportions are important) tend to be up North where the local universities tend to be more specialised in engineering. If you want to do an online course, there is only one that I know of. The cost is £3500 usually
For A Levels, chemistry and physics are the biggest pain in the neck. These come with optional practical endorsements, but the thing is a number of universities mandate you that you have done these. Maths A Level is probably the most straightforward; you can do everything in 6 months in this A Level if you want (but you still take the exams in the summer), and it can cost less than £1000 (or less than £500 if you insist on studying everything yourself). Practical endorsements can cost another £1000 on top for each subject. All in all, A Levels is the second most expensive option if you have done any of the above before, but they are the most expensive opion if you didn't. However, A Levels are also the most widely accepted qualifications, whereas the other 2 mentioned aren't as much. Even if you did do the other 2 qualifications, a number of universities can ask you for A Level Maths on top just to affirm you're "good enough" for the degree, especially for quantiative subjects like Engineering physics.
HNCs are not level 3 qualifications. Once you have done the qualification, you can only do level 5 and level 6 qualifications to top things up to bachelor's level. These "top-ups" can only be done at selected universities and colleges, and you can't do them at the majority of universities and only for specific subjects (again restricting your options). If you want to do the conventional degrees, you will strictly need level 3 qualifications.
Irrespective of your options, I would recommend doing A Level Maths to start off with, and then consider which of the other options later on.
You should also check the entry requirements of the specific degree courses that you want to do first. They will detail everything you will need to do to meet entry requirements.
Do note, if you want to do the practical assessments (A Levels), you would need to arrange everything by September-October at the latest in order to do them by January. If you want to book your own assessments, you need to find the appropriate test centres (there are only a handful in the country). If you want to get course providers to arrange it for you (if you choose to study through a course), you will have pay a premium on top (usually £1300+).
Original post by MommaDuck
Current Situation:
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
Hi there.
Generally agree with what MindMax2000 said, just wanted to add that from employers perspective (I hire engineering interns/graduates from time to time for the company where I work) when reviewing candidate profiles I generally don't care much about your past grades if you already have graduated with a BEng degree (or about to). Similarly I wouldn't care about your 2:2 BEng if you already have a MEng or even a Ph.D. I hope that makes sense, so take whichever route to degree makes more sense to you, it won't affect your employability. Only the end result is what matters.
Also, there are some more options out there. You could do a foundation year at the Uni of your choice which will grant direct access to the Engineering course (assuming you pass the exams of course, which are easy by the way). The good thing about foundation year is that it's a straight forward course, 1 year long, gets you right into the Engineering degree with almost no entry requirements. The downside is the cost of course, but you should be able to get that on student loan together with your total for the BEng course.
You could also do and apprenticeship program instead and get an HNC or HND through work. If you can find a good company where you can do that, may even convince them to pay for your final year to top your HNC/HND to BEng on their expense.
Let me know if you have any more questions, happy to help
Original post by MommaDuck
Current Situation:
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
So, I left school and did an advanced apprenticeship at a car dealership to gain my certification as a level 3 qualified light-vehicle service and maintenance technician (car mechanic) - but it does not grant me any UCAS points and thus is useless for furthering my education.
Previous/Current Plan:
Recently, I'd just picked up some A Level maths textbooks and was planning on self-teaching myself and sitting the exams independently (and I was hoping to do the same with Physics or Chemistry too) - but no doubt it wasn't going to be that straight forward (required to pay a decent chunk of money to gain practical endorsements in science - and I was aiming to complete both A levels within a year, which may be difficult whilst still working).
New Opportunity:
Anyway, I thought i'd apply to an access course too (just to broaden my options) - and the college contacted me and offered an alternative:take a 15 week level 3 'BTEC' (I think) in some maths module, and qualify myself to start studying for a General Engineering HNC by September.
Considerations:
At first glance it seems to be a great offer - but I'm afraid that I will look unfavourable as a candidate that has followed such a 'back-door' / unconventional route of study.
I'm not planning on going to Cambridge or Oxford or anything like that - but I am hoping to secure a decent degree apprenticeship (if i can) or to go onto something quite 'difficult' like Engineering Physics at a decent University - so it's kind of important to me that I am looked at with decent merit by a wide range of employers and institutions.
Bottom Line:
I'm just not sure what to do/think. A levels would be ideal to have - but they will probably take me longer than a year to complete by myself - and I'd ideally want to do both Physics and Chemistry alongside Maths, so I can imagine it would be quite a stressful year or two. On the otherhand, a HNC is a level 4 and perhaps demonstrates greater competence - and I would practically be done by this time next year (and, in theory, be in a position to start applying for a proper placement at Uni - or for a degree apprenticeship - within just a year).
What do you guys think? If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read
I didn't do A levels and instead did a level 3 engineering apprenticeship.
I ended up doing a degree apprenticeship. I strongly recommend it, especially if the role stands out to you and it’s a good employer.
The earlier you can get your foot in the door with a top employer, the better.
I finished my degree apprenticeship around 4 years ago. Happy to answer any questions.
(edited 1 year ago)
Hey.
I was in your shoes a few months ago, wondering how to get level 3 qualifications that wouldn't cost much, and could get me into a nice uni for engineering. I'm almost done with my access course (21 Maths credits and 24 Physics credits). I didn't do A Level Maths but I got offers from my top choices. Sure, there are a handful that won't take applicants without A Level Maths liie Southampton but there are many more who will take you without it. Some of them will make you do a Maths test like Bath and Bristol to see if you're on par with A Level students.
Alternatively, you could just go straight into a Level 3 degree apprenticeship with your GCSEs. I'm not sure how many years those take but if you don't mind the length, a lot of employers will even let you progress to higher level apprenticeships once you get your level 3 qualification.
I was in your shoes a few months ago, wondering how to get level 3 qualifications that wouldn't cost much, and could get me into a nice uni for engineering. I'm almost done with my access course (21 Maths credits and 24 Physics credits). I didn't do A Level Maths but I got offers from my top choices. Sure, there are a handful that won't take applicants without A Level Maths liie Southampton but there are many more who will take you without it. Some of them will make you do a Maths test like Bath and Bristol to see if you're on par with A Level students.
Alternatively, you could just go straight into a Level 3 degree apprenticeship with your GCSEs. I'm not sure how many years those take but if you don't mind the length, a lot of employers will even let you progress to higher level apprenticeships once you get your level 3 qualification.
The HNC may not be a great offer. So many people come on here complaining about how useless it is because they find it difficult to find a decent uni that will allow them to top up to a full BSc.
If you want to go to uni an Access course is the easiest route (although it is an intense course).
If you want to go to uni an Access course is the easiest route (although it is an intense course).
Have you considered working at sea? You can do an HNC or HND in Marine engineering which will be sponsored assuming you have minimum 5 gcses A-C. https://careersatsea.org/
Original post by Chris2892
I didn't do A levels and instead did a level 3 engineering apprenticeship.
I ended up doing a degree apprenticeship. I strongly recommend it, especially if the role stands out to you and it’s a good employer.
The earlier you can get your foot in the door with a top employer, the better.
I finished my degree apprenticeship around 4 years ago. Happy to answer any questions.
I ended up doing a degree apprenticeship. I strongly recommend it, especially if the role stands out to you and it’s a good employer.
The earlier you can get your foot in the door with a top employer, the better.
I finished my degree apprenticeship around 4 years ago. Happy to answer any questions.
Original post by Zacons
Did you do both your apprenticeships with the same employer?
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