What HNC are you completing?

I’m currently in the final stages of the level 4 HNC in General Engineering, a two-year part-time course at TDR Training.

What do you enjoy most about your HNC?

There are aspects of the course that I do particularly enjoy. The HNC course has offered me the opportunity to rediscover the basis of scientific study in the engineering fields. The study of mechanical principles and engineering science has been of particular interest to me.

As a somewhat “mature” student who has been employed within a manufacturing environment for many years, it has been a fantastic opportunity to take myself out of my usual “comfort zone” and put to use some areas of the brain that I may have neglected for some time. I really would recommend others to do similar occasionally – keep learning and keep improving.

Why would you encourage others to do a HNC?

Although engineering is a vast subject, the basic principles that allow us to advance in the engineering fields are fundamental. I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity to improve my knowledge in this area. The essential knowledge and skills gained from the HNC course will undoubtedly assist students as they transfer into engineering roles within the workplace environment or move on to further study. I have worked within a manufacturing environment for many years and can testify that this is the case.

Is your HNC helping you progress within your job and if so, how?

General examples of industrial roles link to the specific course I am doing and are discussed in class. It should be noted that I’m very aware of the relevance of the course content with respect to my own job role.

I’m currently considered as a ‘polymer processing subject matter expert’ within my own company and so the study of material properties and material characteristics in the HNC will be of particular use to me personally.

It’s the intention that the course content in general will be used to increase my flexibility within the manufacturing section of our business, allowing me to gain more knowledge relevant to other areas of our process.