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Degree trumps C&G?

Jonathan Knight

Does a level 5 IET accredited electrical engineering degree trump a 1 week level 4 C&G 2396 course or do my engineers need this as well???

I have a client that insists that my graduate engineers need to do a week long course that ultimately is designed for electrician’s wanting to further their education and knowledge base. My argument is that a 3 year full time degree course is of a much higher standard and therefore the C&G course is not required. 

The query is raised my a client who has the C&G course under his belt but no degree. 

any help is gratefully received 

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    Coming at it from the opposite end, I'm inclined to agree with that there is a significant risk of  a fresh graduate  falling at the first practical hurdle, for example testing existing apparatus safely.
    At my place of work we take on a lot of graduates in many disciplines,  both electrical and electronic engineering, computing, pure mathematics, and of course (my own personal favourite) physics. It is fair to say that the bench aspect of many of these degrees is sadly a bit weak, and we usually have to buddy up the newcomers with someone  who actually knows what they are doing for a  few years. ("The reason that power supply is not working is that is a bench multi-meter that looks like a power supply", "now re-test with the earthing straps  removed", "you have measured it in 'off' mode", "why did you not write down the test levels" ,all that kind of thing.)

    The other half of the well rounded problem solver is experience, and this varies enormously. Some folk have 20 years experience on the CV and when you talk to them it is clearly the same year repeated 20 times, even repeating the same mistakes as well. Others take to the life of the independent consultant like a duck to water and are off and away, in effect having had 20 roles in 20 years,even if being paid by the same company, and are quick thinking enough to know when to look something up in advance of the site visit or customer meeting and able to do sums well enough while on the spot to avoid gross errors.

    You still have not said what these folk will be expected to do, and why either a degree or a C & G is the right qualification!


    (And I type as one who has no formal electronics training but I do design the stuff for a living, and in the past I have coached folk successfully for technical qualifications I do not hold myself .)


    Mike.

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