HNC in Welding Fabrication and Inspection

[sharon]

Hi,

I am not sure this is in the right place, but here goes...I am 26 year old women, wanting a career change always wanted to do something hands on and practical but got swayed but my dads......its not nice for a women to be under cars, dirty, cold etc etc. Left school did uni, not for me, been doing admin jobs and really wanting to go for something practical and thought lets go for it now....

After carefully thinking I really want to go for welding & Fabrication

What do people think of this course?

http://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/detail.html?id=HCFW/FK

Any good, where would this HNC lend me? directly into employment?

Not that I am remoatly bothered but are there many females about in this area? just wondered

Thanks for any help you can give, sorry for all the questions

Sharon

 

[English Steve]

Hi Sharon, and welcome

The HNC qualification is generally well thought of in Engineering circles and should help to get you reasonable employment. You probably wont walk straight in to a senior position - you'll need practical experience for that, but it should help to get you on the ladder.
Unfortunately, there are quite a number of people in Engineering who have the same view as your dad ie it's no place for a woman, but there are several women who have made a good living from it. We even have a few females on here (Sparkey being the most obvious ).

What else can I say? Good luck!

 

[TechnicAl]

I did the equivalent of that in the late 70s and look where it got me

should be a lesson to you all

seriously........qualifications are always an advantage.

 

[Arsonista]

surely it should be........quALifications are always an advantage.

Oh. nooooooooooo..............

 

[Debs.]

Hiya and welcome Sharon!

Lots of friendly advice and info. available on this forum....there are fabrication and welding experts of both genders (as well as welding-beginners; like us).

I did the Uni. path to engineering and researched through to a Ph.D (materials sciences) .....but nothing beats the delight in making metal 'stuff' with one`s own hands.

Go with your heart and instincts and don`t give 'heed' to the nay-sayers....I`m sure you`ll really enjoy learning those metal workshop skills.

 

[TechnicAl]

Oh. nooooooooooo..............

 

[rory1]

in a HNC you will not do any hands on work, it will be theory, i did my HNC in manufacturing when i was an apprentice. NVQ`s and the like show the practical side whilst a HNC is designed to give the technical knowledge required to be a 'technician'.


I took me two years day release to complete (after completing an ONC first which was another two years) and i found it very interesting.
after my apprenticeship i decided to do a degree in mech engineering which i am now about to complete (i should be working on my dessertaion now!!). i found the HNC gave me a better grounding in engineering principles than the studetns who had came from A levels but my maths was rubbish compared to thiers.

if you enjoy it then go for it, but you must consider that the job market for engineers at the moment is looking grim

rory

 

[sharon]

Thanks for the help

Hi guys
Thanks for the help I have sent of my application and I shall await an interview date.

Ideally I would LOVE to work for babcock marine at Faslane, and be a dirty civi as my hubsand and his lot call them! But understand that will take alot of experience to get there, or even through it may not seem to make sense doing the HNC and then going to a babcock trainee programe, anything to get to babcock @ Faslane

I will keep you updated and hope to be a regular poster on here....when I have half an idea about stuff.

Thanks Again
Sharon