• Question: do you have to go to university to be an engineer

    Asked by 15basnan to Aleks, Oliver, Lesley, Leah, Hannah, Graeme on 5 Mar 2019. This question was also asked by samira.xx.
    • Photo: Aleks Sokol

      Aleks Sokol answered on 5 Mar 2019:

      Definitely not! I actually want to use my 500 pounds to go around schools and tell young people that getting into engineering doesn’t necessarily mean going to university (and hopefully set up Career Help sessions). I know quite a few people that got into engineering through apprenticeships, or by doing higher national diplomas (which is usually done at colleges). As long as you are passionate about engineering you can find ways of becoming an engineer.

      That being said university is a great life experience, so it is worth considering!

    • Photo: Graeme Burt

      Graeme Burt answered on 7 Mar 2019:

      For engineers what counts is membership or chartered status one of the engineering institutions (I’m in the Institute of Engineering and technology). They look at your experience rather than your qualifications, but its easier to get that experience if you have a degree, and you get more training in the mathematics and design aspects of engineering.I would definately recommend the University route if you have the grades.

      You can also do an engineering apprenticeship, they do the real practical work like making and building things. I work with some amazing apprentices at the University and at STFC (Daresbury Lab). We have engineers that do electronics, electrical, vacuum, cryogenics, and mechanical.
      https://stfc.ukri.org/about-us/work-with-us/apprentice-training-scheme/

      A lot of engineers do a BTec at college first then come to Uni, if they don’t get the A’level results at school.

      UK students can also apply to do an apprenticship at CERN, which is amazing.

    • Photo: Hannah Griffin

      Hannah Griffin answered on 7 Mar 2019:

      You don’t have to (apprenticeships etc) but you might want to. I don’t keep in touch with friends from school but at university I met friends that I had more in common with and we still meet up to this day (approx 15 years later).

    • Photo: Lesley Colquhoun

      Lesley Colquhoun answered on 12 Mar 2019:

      no! i did the university route, however i work with some guys that left school after GCSE’s and went into college/ apprenticship programs. These guys have a different skillset from mine due to their route, but we are doing the same job and can help each other with different areas of a problem 🙂

    • Photo: Leah Morgan

      Leah Morgan answered on 13 Mar 2019:

      Nope! I work with lots of people who got into engineering by doing an apprenticeship. In some ways an apprenticeship is better because you get so much practical experience in the world of work. At University you rarely get the chance to do any of this!

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