Nowadays, an employee working in the engineering and technology sector, can claim - particularly when applying for internal vacant jobs - as working to 'degree level', whether or not they have a degree; provided of course they are working with at least one employee who does have a degree, and are on the same pay scale, which employers are happy to pay in wage costs.


The IET and UKSpec recognises this situation, since it now encourages engineers with degrees or no qualification at all to apply up to CEng level, as experience alone can count as competence to MEng level.


Then you have the educational establishments, such as universities and colleges. The OU accepts anyone, with or without any prior qualifications, onto their degree programs, and universities and colleges offer anyone over the age of 21 a place onto a degree course of their choice, provided they can show an aptitude to study, such as passing an entrance exam, or evidence of relevent job experience or apprenticeship. 


when you put all three circumstances above together, the only conclusion one can draw is that anyone working in the E&T sector, alongside other graduates or postgraduates can describe themselves as 'working to graduate of postgraduate level'. And if one of the employee or line manager is a CEng, then 'working to CEng level' is also up for grabs.


All that is required is for just one person in the company to fork out £1000s and undergo many years of study towards actually gaining a degree and/or spend £100s+ and undergo the Hassel of applying to gain CEng status. Everyone else in the team is automatically on the degree/CEng bandwagon for free. 


As for whether an HND or HNC is a match for some of parts of a degree course, then of course they are. Universities have offered HND and HNC qualified and experienced engineers places onto MSc and PhD programs for decades. The mathematics (and even programming skills) isn't that important nowadays to the majority of engineers. It's only important to the small number of specialists engineers, and they're mostly paid less than everyone else for doing a role (or multiple roles) they enjoy. Employers don't look to kindly to that for some reason - "you're enjoying your job far too much. I'm afraid I cannot recommend you for a pay rise".


Andy I sent you a PM about LinkedIn. I wonder if you received it and are able to help? Cheers.

Nowadays, an employee working in the engineering and technology sector, can claim - particularly when applying for internal vacant jobs - as working to 'degree level', whether or not they have a degree; provided of course they are working with at least one employee who does have a degree, and are on the same pay scale, which employers are happy to pay in wage costs.


The IET and UKSpec recognises this situation, since it now encourages engineers with degrees or no qualification at all to apply up to CEng level, as experience alone can count as competence to MEng level.


Then you have the educational establishments, such as universities and colleges. The OU accepts anyone, with or without any prior qualifications, onto their degree programs, and universities and colleges offer anyone over the age of 21 a place onto a degree course of their choice, provided they can show an aptitude to study, such as passing an entrance exam, or evidence of relevent job experience or apprenticeship. 


when you put all three circumstances above together, the only conclusion one can draw is that anyone working in the E&T sector, alongside other graduates or postgraduates can describe themselves as 'working to graduate of postgraduate level'. And if one of the employee or line manager is a CEng, then 'working to CEng level' is also up for grabs.


All that is required is for just one person in the company to fork out £1000s and undergo many years of study towards actually gaining a degree and/or spend £100s+ and undergo the Hassel of applying to gain CEng status. Everyone else in the team is automatically on the degree/CEng bandwagon for free. 


As for whether an HND or HNC is a match for some of parts of a degree course, then of course they are. Universities have offered HND and HNC qualified and experienced engineers places onto MSc and PhD programs for decades. The mathematics (and even programming skills) isn't that important nowadays to the majority of engineers. It's only important to the small number of specialists engineers, and they're mostly paid less than everyone else for doing a role (or multiple roles) they enjoy. Employers don't look to kindly to that for some reason - "you're enjoying your job far too much. I'm afraid I cannot recommend you for a pay rise".


Andy I sent you a PM about LinkedIn. I wonder if you received it and are able to help? Cheers.