HNC General Engineering

The HNC covers key engineering topics to give you a broad understanding of the field. While specific subjects may vary depending on the course provider, you can expect to cover:

Engineering Principles: This unit includes core concepts like forces, motion, materials, and thermodynamics?essential for understanding how things work in mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineering.

Maths for Engineers: Engineering involves a lot of calculations, so this unit ensures you have the maths skills to solve problems related to things like mechanics, electrical circuits, and systems design.

Materials and Manufacturing: Learn about different materials, their properties, and manufacturing processes. This is essential for understanding what goes into designing and producing parts.

Engineering Design: This module involves using design software (like CAD) to create technical drawings and models, helping you develop skills in planning and designing products.

Project Management: Engineering projects require strong planning and organizational skills. This unit covers the basics of managing projects, from planning and budgeting to meeting deadlines.

Health and Safety: Knowing how to work safely is critical in engineering. This module covers risk assessments, safety procedures, and regulations to ensure a safe work environment.

Throughout the HNC, you?ll gain essential skills for an engineering career, such as:

Technical Skills: Understand how to use engineering software, tools, and equipment, especially in design and production. Problem-Solving: Learn how to approach complex problems, think critically, and develop solutions. Communication: Engineering requires you to present ideas clearly, so you?ll build skills in explaining concepts, creating reports, and working in teams. Project Management: You?ll learn to manage time, resources, and costs to deliver projects on schedule.

This course is suitable for a variety of students:

• Day release students doing apprenticeships
• Students who have completed A levels and are looking for an entry engineering course
• Students who have completed level 3 BTEC courses
• Mature professionals with industry experience

It is ideal if you are are already in employment in engineering or related discipline and looking to develop your skills, knowledge and expertise in order to enhance your career options and gain a Level 4 qualification in engineering.

The Pearson HNC qualification is a nationally recognised standard in Engineering, and the employment opportunities are many and varied. People with proven skills in Engineering are in great demand both in the UK and overseas.

The HNC includes a mix of assignments, exams, and a major project. You?ll work on practical assignments that involve problem-solving, design, and project-based work. This approach gives you hands-on experience and lets you demonstrate your skills to potential employers.

Year 1 modules:

Unit 1: Engineering Design

The aim of this unit is to introduce students to the methodical steps that engineers use in creating functional products and processes; from a design brief to the work, and the stages involved in identifying and justifying a solution to a given engineering need.

Unit 2: Engineering Mathematics

The aim of this unit is to develop students skills in the mathematical principles and theories that underpin the engineering curriculum. Students will be introduced to mathematical methods and statistical techniques in order to analyse and solve problems within an engineering context.

Unit 3: Engineering Science

This unit introduces students to the fundamental laws and applications of the physical sciences within engineering and how to apply this knowledge to find solutions to a variety of engineering problems.

Among the topics included in this unit are: international system of units, interpreting data, static and dynamic forces, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, material properties and failure, and A.C./D.C. circuit theories.

Unit 4: Managing a Professional Engineering Project.

This unit introduces students to the techniques and best practices required to successfully create and manage an engineering project designed to identify a solution to an engineering need. While carrying out this project students will consider the role and function of engineering in our society, the professional duties and responsibilities expected of engineers together with the behaviours that accompany their actions.

Among the topics covered in this unit are: roles, responsibilities and behaviours of a professional engineer, planning a project, project management stages, devising solutions, theories and calculations, management using a Gantt chart, evaluation techniques, communication skills, and the creation and presentation of a project report.

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to conceive, plan, develop and execute a successful engineering project, and produce and present a project report outlining and reflecting on the outcomes of each of the project processes and stages. As a result, they will develop skills such as critical thinking, analysis, reasoning, interpretation, decision-making, information literacy, and information and communication technology, and skills in professional and confident self-presentation.

• The awareness of health and safety regulations, relevance to the occupation and the machinist's responsibilities
• Engineering representations, drawings, graphical information and specifications
• Machining operations and techniques to produce complex components.

• Comply with environmental, ethical and sustainability regulations and procedures
• Record information; paper based or electronic
• Apply machining operations and techniques to produce complex components with features.

• Prioritise health and safety

• Team focus to meet work goals; for example, working effectively with others and resolving issues in discussion with others

• Support an equal, diverse and inclusive culture.

When in the workshops students are required to follow the college rules and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

There will be a list of textbooks and resources that you are required to purchase in support of your studies.

There is an expectation that you will contribute to your studies outside of the formal teaching time.

The HNC can lead to several exciting paths:

Enter the Workforce: The HNC prepares you for entry-level engineering roles, such as an engineering technician, design assistant, or manufacturing operative. Many industries, like aerospace, automotive, and energy, value HNC graduates.

Higher Studies: You can progress to a Higher National Diploma (HND), which is a more advanced qualification, or even go on to degree-level studies if you?re interested in more specialized engineering fields.

Apprenticeships: Some students choose to go into apprenticeships where they can continue learning while earning, and the HNC qualification is often accepted for higher level apprenticeships.

Students will require an appropriate Level 3 qualification which equates to a total of 48 UCAS points (such as 2 Ds or above in A Levels, an overall Merit Pass grade in BTEC Diploma, an overall Pass grade in BTEC Extended Diploma, an Access to HE Diploma or an Advanced Apprenticeship) or have sufficient experience and aptitude to be able to cope with the demands of the course.

Students will also be expected to have a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths (preferably with maths at the higher paper).

Applicants aged 21 or over who do not have the entry requirements may be eligible for acceptance based on an interview if they have substantial relevant industrial or military experience.

Where formal maths qualifications cannot be provided applicants can take a college maths assessment.

We recommend that you attend one of our exciting open events so that you can look around the department, the college and meet the tutors. You are welcome to do this before or after you apply.

These events have proved very successful in ensuring students and their families see the best of what the college has to offer such as our inspirational teaching areas, teachers, library facilities and places to eat.

Once you have applied our experienced Enrolment Team will consider your application carefully and will let you know, by email, if the College would like to make you a conditional offer based on you meeting the specified entry requirements.

If you have applied for A Levels, before an offer is made, you will be invited to attend an interview from April onwards.

If your predicted grades or career aims suggest that an alternative subject area or course level would be more appropriate for you at this stage, we will contact you either by telephone, email or text. If you have told us that you have some additional support needs we will contact you to find out more so that we can help you.