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Engineering Apprenticeships

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The UK is once again one of the global leads for Engineering and Manufacture. Our innovation and high quality, together with efficient timescales of delivery make us stand out. The East of England is a powerhouse for the UK economy much of which comes from the outstanding engineering companies in the region.

At West Suffolk College we offer organisations and learners the chance to learn and develop the skills required to ensure engineering remains prominent in the local area. We offer Level 2 to Level 6 and work with employers across many different pathways such as Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Maintenance, Welding, Tool Making, Design, Installation etc. Our excellent facilities allow for learning to be conducted in a very supportive environment and our work based team helps to embed that classroom knowledge fully in the workplace.

Engineering Courses for School Leavers

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Engineering at West Suffolk College provides a practical and theoretical introduction to mechanical and electronic engineering, computer aided drawing and microprocessing. You’ll get the skills to help solve the problems of tomorrow – from how aircraft work to the electronics in your mobile phone.

The Level 3 course could earn you enough UCAS points to study engineering at any UK university or take an advanced apprenticeship, working with an engineering firm and career off to an early start.

Engineering Degrees, HNCs & HNDs

This study programme is designed for 16 to 19 year olds (aged 19 to 24 for students with an Education, Health and Care Plan).

All courses take place on our Sixth Form Campus, therefore any applicants aged 25+ or over who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan may be required to complete a DBS check as part of the conditional offer to West Suffolk College. The cost to the applicant for a DBS is £30.00 and the DBS check can be completed through the college.

Please visit our Adult EducationDegrees and Employer section for alternative courses.

About the course

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The Extended Diploma in Engineering is a prestigious academic qualification, equivalent to studying 3 A-Levels, which provides learners with the opportunity to develop knowledge, understanding and underpinning skills required in the Engineering industry.

It is a two-year programme and in year 1 you will learn the underpinning skills required to be a competent engineer across all industries. examples include; as Mechanical Principles, Electronics, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Hydraulics and Pneumatics to include practical and theory based learning.

On successful completion of year 1, students' progress onto year 2 and specialise in Engineering. Year 2 has exciting modules allowing students to develop specific skills and express your creativity and interests within your chosen project.   Specialist subjects such as PLCs, Analogue Electronics, Design and CAM along with other core engineering modules.

Learners will be assessed through a variety of methods; these involve internal assessments which will allow learners to develop their vocational and study skills.

Learners will be supported with their progression towards higher education and future employment based within Engineering. They will be given the opportunity to gain valuable work-related experience to give them the insight and connections with working within industry.

What can I do next?

Upon completion of the Level 3 programmes students go on to a number of pathways including University and Higher Education. Level 2 learners can progress onto the Level 3 provision.

Industry Statistics

The manufacturing sector employs 2.7 million people at an average wage of £34,538.

The Engineering sector is a broad and diverse area offering a vast range of opportunities, anything is possible.

Typical Careers

Engineering courses equip students with the foundation and specialist knowledge which allows you to progress onto employment, apprenticeship or further study at West Suffolk College. These next steps could include industries such as Aerospace, Biomedical, Armed Forces, Manufacturing, Nuclear, Automation, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Automotive and Rail sectors.

Engineering UK's 2019 update on the state of the sector estimates that there will be an annual demand for 124,000 engineers and technicians with core engineering skills up to 2024, alongside an additional requirement for 79,000 related roles, requiring a mixed application of engineering knowledge and skill alongside other skill sets.

You could try breaking into an area experiencing growth in Engineering, such as:

Nuclear energy - The government wants nuclear power to eventually provide reliable, low carbon and cost competitive electricity. To meet this target, the workforce is required to expand by 7,000 to 8,000 per year until 2021, with many of these replacing retirees.

Big data - This sector is forecast to generate £241billion to UK GDP by 2020, creating 157,000 new jobs in the process.

Food and drink manufacturing - FDF research estimates that the food and drink industry will need 140,000 new recruits by 2024 in order to meet market demands.

Mechanical, electrical, electronic, chemical and software engineers - These roles will be particularly sought after, with design, production and maintenance opportunities existing in numerous industries.

 

Days & times

Starting September 2023


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