Engineering apprenticeships

[grant_ploughbot]

Engineering apprenticeships

Well i was at Uni for 2 years doing Motorsport engineering. Same qualification as any other MechEng degree but abit more speciallised to suite.
Reading through course structure I figured there was alot of maths, but maths directed at what i want to do, and along with that some Design work and calculations and testing of racing car chassiss and components.
In actual fact all it was was PURE maths, every subject was another type of pure maths with a fancy name.
The only interesting lecture was thermofluids (thermo dynamics and fluid mechanics).
We did not do a SINGLE bit of practicle to put the maths we were learning into use, or to help understand it.
My main gripe was if you did something wrong, you wouldnt ever be tols what you did wrong, just that it was wrong. Every nmber you calculated meant absolubtly nothing to anyone that was working it out, it was just a calculation that came up with a number in the thousands. Without the practical side of analysing these number and seeing what they physically do makes all this learning pointless to me.
All it means is that i can remember a 5 line equation and punch in numbers!

In the end, I left uni. I had 3 months off my first year and came back the day before my first exam due to an opperation. I passed all but 1 exam.
As my course at Brunel University was the highest standard i could do they stopped any retakes, but due to my circumstances they allowed me to do that entire module again with my others the next year. last year i was off for 3 weeks during coursework and exams with a kidney and brain infection and fell too far behind to be able to catch up and so i left.

Im pleased i left.
I had over 30 hours of lectures a week, all pure maths. No hands on work and i believe i can get a better job just with my experience and 4 As at A-level (100% Dinstinctions in Computer Aided Engineering diploma and A in further maths).

I dont understand why any employer would take on a graduate who just knows equations. They dont know what the hell they mean, but they know the numbers. They dont know how an engine works, they dont know how to tap a hole (both examples of top people on my course).
So how on earth can you be able to calculate and design a component when you dont know how its made?

My rant over lol.

[grant_ploughbot]

Engineering apprenticeships

haha gary - i know what you mean. Although it wasnt very often for me, there was physically no time.

[andrewj]

Engineering apprenticeships

quote:

And i feel for you also Gary, glad it wasnt me... we had a module in Information Process Managment (annoying module to say the least) and they give us some guy from Iran who speaks English like he just arrived in the county for the first time (even though he lived here for 25 years) and goes off on tangents alot and speaks rubbish and gave us slides to read but were no use really. And then had a go when we only got Bs. And it was a module you HAD to complete, or you re did it again. 40% class failed and had to have him again, woop woop. LOL.

Ill tell him that!

[Mouldy]

Engineering apprenticeships

I did the same course as grant did at college (computer aided engineering deploma) then started my aprenticeship

my work expierence was with a company who service the robots in car plants, i have a qulification in progamming them now that would be a good job for me as i really liked it

Thats exactly what i do now.. robot arms look cool the first few times you watch them, but it gets boring real quick.

No offence stu- but the engineering industrie is alot different to IT.. you can learn database work at uni and impliment it straight away at work i imagine.

Doing 10 line equations that mean nothing, then being expected to design components then manufacture them is totaly different after just being shown a page full of maths and never shown into a workshop... most the maths you get taught during an engineering degree is pretty much un-necassairy or never implimented in the real world- as grant said.

I started a degree course with my company at the start of the year.. my company cut my funding when they bothered to read my notes and look into what happened in the lectures because they didnt find it relavent to what goes on in reality.

[psycho_fling]

Engineering apprenticeships

which company do you work for/with Dave?

thanks for the help people

[psycho_fling]

Engineering apprenticeships

just to add to what i have said i am currently doing 4 a levels maths physics, graphics and business with the hope to fit in another as level

[john]

Engineering apprenticeships

business is soooooooooooo boring at A2

actually 6 form has been so boring at A2

AS was fun but now its just rubbish

(Message edited by john on November 26, 200

[Mouldy]

Engineering apprenticeships

i work for LDV Maxus, im an electrical maintenance engineer there. walked around jag, BMW, land rover, all automotive factorys are pretty much the same when it comes down to it.

If robotic/production line/PLC based systems maintenance is what your really interested in, try and get an aprenticeship with cadburys.. there maintenance team are paid pretty well. and im told its a nice company to work for.

(Message edited by mr_turbulence on November 26, 200

[anukhet]

Engineering apprenticeships

Rant alert..........

No quals but plenty of varied experience so why cant I get a job?

I see vacancies come, go and come back again - obviously the person appointed didnt work out somehow. My last employer got rid of me after just over 6 months. They didnt tell me or even my supervisor why and a month later took on someone else who lasted 2 days, took on another and they also lasted only 2 days.

Perhaps being over 40 and female has something to do with it. Doesnt matter what legislation there is employers just do what they like.

[supernova]

Engineering apprenticeships

You need a degree to get through the front door, and just common sence to keep your job. If you think there will be any kind of practical work in your engineering degree... think again. As mentioned above its all maths. People wonder why the engineering industry is doing down in this country, its because engineering grads know more about maths then anything pratical. (you will find most engineering grads in finance, as finance companies have realised that qualified engineers are better with numbers then economics students). You dont need a degree but it makes things much easier.

[stu]

Engineering apprenticeships

No offence stu- but the engineering industrie is alot different to IT.. you can learn database work at uni and impliment it straight away at work i imagine.

(But its a hell of alot more than database work LOL but i get the principle your looking at, but alot of problem solving and forward thinking is needed for the real world in IT, not just making boring crappy database that some people think i do, cough jonno.)

But totaly agree when it comes to like engineering a car or whatever... or doing art/design work as lets face it engineering a car/robot etc or a project is a bit of art/design, you need hands on practical prove you can make it but even then its a step higher as you have to know strenths/angles/forces etc etc etc, not just paint a picture.

But was just commenting on if he wanted to do electrical engineering, there is more maths/computer side of things you need to learn so doing a Uni course in it will help ALOT, if not needed.

, its because engineering grads know more about maths then anything pratical. (you will find most engineering grads in finance, as finance companies have realised that qualified engineers are better with numbers then economics students). You dont need a degree but it makes things much easier.

--- Haha yeah i read that somewhere... tis true though.

Its a shame because i think car/robot (wahtever) engineering requires more creative than just knowing how to push numbers. So meh.... is a tricky one. But still believe the way this world is going - a degree is a must.

Oh Alex, dont do more than 4 A Levels. The norm is do 4 during AS then drop one and do 3 at A2. Long as you get Bs and an A in the 3 A2s your fine. Dont try and pick up a 5th and spend less time on the others. Stick to 4 and work hard on them than do 5 and do less work. My 6th form let us all down and we attualy all dropped 2 for A2. i did Maths PhysicsIT and Business. and Dropped Maths and Physics. Maths coz i got bored of it, i used to love maths but AS spoilt it for me. Then after 3 weeks in A2 i dropped physics, well half the group did coz of the tutor. But i got an A in IT and Business at AS and A2 and a C in Maths and a D in physics at AS to pull me through which got me something like 280 Ucas points which is just above average for a decent degree course. Think 260 is average.

and AJ nooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!

I only found out last month (and forgot he reads this forum) that AJ goes to worcester uni which was my uni... and has 3 of my tutors.. and the tutuor i was talking about above is a tutor AJ has... Haha so AJ knows what i mean!!!!

Little John - i found business boring at A2 also, how the hell are you pulling through it, you get bored so easily how are you still there! Well thinks pick up at Uni anyway. A Levels most is book work as most colleges/6th forms dont have the stuff. But Unis, it takes IT and Business to a new level - The real world! thats when its scary!

I remember one module learning how google works and their offices and servers and blah blah it was just pure scary! Oh and how the national banking system works - dont even get into that.. my god.

Thing is, some people slip through the norm net so to say.. if you can find a company that will support you and pay for you to do lots of part time course while your working with them and earning experience, then DO IT!

But if that company chucks you after half way due to whatever.. credit crunch anyone? then your left with just experience which most companies these days due to more Pro Issue laws and blah blah are more weary of someone with no qualifications.

Karoline - maybe try and do a couse in the area of field your in, will give you the edge than just experience which will make your case stronger. Thats what alot of my mature student mates were doing when they were in my modules. 2 of which had kids and full time mum, doing this uni course while they were at school. Now they both have a Degree, did it part time, and i hear 1 has a flexible job at some IT firm and can stil have plenty of time to look after her child single parent. Was a lovely story and a lovely woman to get to know. Learnt alot from her about life in the course.

Thats the other reason uni is great, meet and get to make friends with a wide range of people, different ages etc.

Oh the joys of Life. Sorry about the long post. Bored at work. LOL. But i was once in this situation and i was directed by 3 people to go Uni and 2 to not go Uni, and i had mates who chose not to go Uni and now they are just starting Uni after regreting it after i have finished Uni. yeah they had more money than me while i was at Uni, but the tables have turned.

Mr Stu

(Message edited by stu on November 27, 200

[anukhet]

Engineering apprenticeships

Stu, I already have a BSc(Hons)in IT plus courses and/or certification is soooooo expensive. Uni taught me a hell of a lot as to where to find information though in my case it scares off most potential employers - they are more interested in my CSCS card than my degree.

Im not writing off Uni as a waste of time - it helps the youngsters enormously and I thoroughly recommend it for them however if you havnt got your foot in the door by age 25 forget it!

[Mouldy]

Engineering apprenticeships

sorry about the database comment stu- i honestly dont have a clue what your degree entailed.

Alex, how strong is your maths? Dont be put of electrical engineering because people are saying the maths is crazy.. its also insane on the mechanical side. Ive done a fair bit of both. If your maths is strong enough to become a qualified engineer go down whatever route you want- none of them are easy.

[psycho_fling]

Engineering apprenticeships

my maths is resonable now on a2 level, however i dont like it and dont get fantastic grades its just with alevel i learn that part can do it then we move on and when we come to do it again i have forgotten about it etc

[grant_ploughbot]

Engineering apprenticeships

Mechanical maths is far more difficult than electrical engineering maths lol.