Learning Highway - Progression Route Examples - HE

 

The education and training route is so flexible that you could reach the same goal by many, many different routes. You could use a mixture of full and part-time courses and job-related training, as in the following examples.


NURSING    ENGINEERING    PERFORMING ARTS



NURSING

You want to become a registered nurse. Look at the following examples of progression routes and pathways:


Student nurses follow a course which is a combination of theory and practice and leads to a DipHE or degree awarded by a university or college together with registration as a qualified nurse. Fifty per cent of the course consists of supervised clinical practice. Clinical placements are undertaken in hospitals and community settings linked to their university or college.

You could enter nurse training with:

  • An Access to Nursing qualification
  • BTEC National Awards
  • Five CSEs Grade 1 or O levels (no longer available to new students)
  • Five GCSEs, grades A-C
  • General AS and A levels
  • GNVQ Intermediate plus one GCSE pass at A-C
  • GNVQ Advanced (no longer available to new students)
  • NVQ level 2 plus one GCSE pass at A-C
  • NVQ Level 3
  • Vocational A levels - e.g. in Health and Social Care

OR

  • After completing an Apprenticeship/Nursing Cadetship
  • After working as a health care assistant and gaining NVQ level 3 while employed.

Some NHS Trusts second health care assistants to nursing training courses and pay them their full salary while they are doing the course.


The exact entry requirements will depend on the policy of the college or university and on whether you want to do a degree or diploma programme.


You can train as a nurse locally at:
The University of Surrey in Guildford
Kingston University.

Both universities offer both degree and diploma courses.


A note on financial support for nursing programmes

All student nurses receive free tuition and tax free bursaries - but the rates are different according to whether they choose a degree or diploma course. Health care assistants may be paid their full salary by their Trust, instead of the bursary, while training.


Bursaries for DIPLOMA Students

You'd get an NHS non means-tested bursary. This is currently £5,695.00 a year (£6,692.00 in London). No contribution would be required from your income or your family's. You might be entitled to some allowances in addition to the basic bursary


Bursaries for DEGREE Students

You could apply for an NHS means-tested bursary.
A means-tested bursary means that your income, or that of your spouse/parents will be taken into account, and the amount of the grant will be reduced in proportion.
You might also be entitled to apply for a Student Loan.


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ENGINEERING

There are four levels of job in the engineering profession - operator, craftsperson/technician, incorporated engineer and chartered engineer.


Operative

With GCSE D and E grades you could enter at this level and work on practical, semi skilled tasks such as assembly or production work. You could also work towards some NVQs.


Craftsperson/Technician

You could begin training as a craftsperson and do skilled work, such as installation, testing, maintenance repair or quality control by:


Being promoted from operative
OR
Entering training with:

  • A BTEC First Award
  • Three or more GCSE Grades A*-C
  • A GNVQ Intermediate

All these qualifications should be in relevant subjects.


If you are between 16 and 25 it is likely that you will train through an Apprenticeship, followed by an Advanced Apprenticeship and gain NVQs plus City & Guilds and/or BTEC qualifications.


Incorporated Engineer

Incorporated engineers do day-to-day management level work and are often in charge of teams of engineering staff. They also do planning, budgeting, and sometimes, research.

You could begin training as an incorporated engineer with:

  • Academic or vocational A levels
  • BTEC National Awards
  • NVQ Level 3 (perhaps gained on an Advanced Apprenticeship Programme)
  • A Foundation Degree.

You would then need to do either an accredited honours degree OR an accredited Higher National Award followed by one year's approved further study, known as a matching section, through full-time, part-time or distance learning.


Chartered Engineers

Chartered Engineers do research, design and development work. They may also work as senior managers.

To work at this level you would need a postgraduate degree - an M.Eng.
You could get this qualification by

  • doing postgraduate study after an honours degree

OR

  • by taking a longer honours degree programme which leads straight through to this qualification.

The main branches of Engineering are:

  • Aerospace
  • Chemical
  • Civil
  • Electrical/Electronic
  • Marine
  • Materials
  • Mechanical

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PERFORMING ARTS

With GCSE D and E grades you could do a:

  • BTEC First Diploma
  • GNVQ Intermediate.

With a BTEC First Diploma, GCSE grades A*-C, or GNVQ Intermediate you could do:

  • A BTEC National Diploma
  • Academic A Levels
  • Vocational A Levels
  • Go to Drama, Dance or Music College to do a professional diploma course.*

With Academic A Levels, a BTEC National Diploma or Vocational A Levels you could: Go to Drama, Dance or Music College to do a professional diploma course
OR
Go to university or college of higher education to do a:

  • BTEC Higher National Award
  • Foundation Degree
  • Honours degree in Dance, Drama, Music or Performing Arts.

*Although a Level 3 qualification is the usual entry level, colleges do not always demand this from talented performers.


It is possible for very talented people to succeed as performers without any qualifications at all and/or with no professional training.



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