Debbie Miller, Vice Principal Strategic Operations at UHI North, West and Hebrides, explains how the path to your engineering future starts right on your doorstep.
As part of the leadership team at UHI North West and Hebrides – and as a Caithness parent – I often hear people talk about ‘going off to uni’. That’s a tried-and-tested route for many young people, and moving away from home is a great way to broaden your horizons and meet new people. That said, going away to study is not for everyone and we have high quality undergraduate provision right in Thurso, taught by very experienced lecturers with access to great resources.
Over recent months here at UHI North West and Hebrides we have been thrilled to welcome our highest ever intake of engineering students to our undergraduate programmes.
For a growing number of young people, Caithness is a place where they can learn, grow and experience all the benefits of rural life without racking up huge student loans – but we are so much more than your local college. This year we have welcomed three Icelandic students onto our Masters in Engineering, and our undergraduate programmes are studied across the UK. See the map below for a snapshot of our wide-ranging student base.
If you want to study engineering but you don’t want to leave home to get started, we have options for every stage of that learning journey – including:
- access-level courses
- NC, HNC and HND
- Undergraduate degree, including honours
- Masters in Engineering (all pathways)
For those taking their first steps, we offer entry-level options like the Access to Construction and Engineering (SCQF 4/5) and NC Engineering Systems (SCQF 5). For those looking to advance further, our HNC Engineering leading into BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic or Mechanical Engineering will get you ready to take on high-level technical roles. There are also Masters pathways which are IET-accredited available through UHI, giving you the opportunity to grow your expertise without relocating.
Earn while you study
We are so lucky in the Thurso campus to have the Engineering, Technology and Energy Centre (ETEC), one of the best-equipped training facilities of its kind in Scotland. ETEC offers hands-on workshops, industry-standard equipment and teaching that’s closely tied to the needs of local employers. Courses are delivered flexibly too – full time, part time and online -making it possible to build your skills around work, caring commitments or other responsibilities. In fact, approximately 95% of undergraduate students enrolled through UHI North West and Hebrides work while studying, proof that the model is built around real life.
And that real-life experience pays off quickly. UHI and Focus North have strong, active links with local and national employers, creating a clear pathway into well-paid, rewarding engineering careers. Many of our students and graduates move straight into established local industries such as nuclear, oil and gas and construction, while fast-growing sectors like offshore and onshore renewables have a huge demand for skilled workers. North Highland is home to a strong supply chain, with specialists in engineering, fabrication, marine and environmental services and nuclear decommissioning, to name a few. Take a moment to browse the North Highland Chamber of Commerce directory to discover some of the major local employers in our area.
Many of those employers work closely with Focus North and its partners, of which UHI is one, and this has resulted in generous funding for apprenticeship training and graduate placements. These help people of all ages to move into engineering roles with financial support and structured on-the-job training.
So if engineering is your passion, Thurso offers a complete local pathway, from your first course to your first job. Contact us now to get started.
Image: Used with permission from UHI North, West and Hebrides.