WHAT IF UNIVERSITY ISN’T RIGHTCHOICEFOR YOU?

University isn’tfor everybody,but if you’restill keen to continue in education then thereare other paths you can take.

Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) can boost your career prospects and earning potential. They arealso agreat way to preparefor acareer in aspecific industry and lead directly to the workplace.

Many students use the qualification as asteppingstone to an honours degree while they decide what to do next. These courses tend to focus on ‘learning by doing’ and aredesigned to meet the needs of employers. Both qualifications areprovided by further and higher education colleges. HNCs take about one year to complete full-time and two years part-time. It is equivalent to the first year of adegree.

HNDs take two years full-time and can also be taken part-time, which takes longer.This is the equivalent to two years of adegree. Both HNCs and HNDs can be very practical qualifications, so they do not just involve theory.Thereisalso afinancial advantage because the tuition fees are generally lower than degree courses. They also enable you to keep your options open as they allow you to start your degree at college, and then if you decide you like it, carry on to university

HNCs and HNDs tend to be assessed through assignments, projects and practical tasks that you complete throughout the course. Both can be ‘topped up’ with extra studies at alater date in order to convert them to afull Bachelor’sdegree. Some of the most popular HND courses available include accounting, business and finance, business management, civil engineering, construction, electrical engineering, graphic design, management, nursing, mechanical engineering and photography

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency,17per cent of recent HND graduates studied business studies, while nine per cent studied computer science and eight per cent electrical and electronic engineering.

Hospitality,leisure, sport, tourism and transport and general engineering were also popular choices.

Students often have many opportunities to impress potential future employers. If you’recarrying out work experience alongside your studies, not only will you develop and hone the skills employers arelooking for,but you’ll build contacts that could be useful in your job hunt. HND graduates have the advantage of gaining practical, specialised experience.

Thereare also foundation degrees which areaqualification in their own right but can be ‘topped up’ to afull degree. They aregreat for students who areunsureifadegree is for them. They can be agood stepping stone for people unsureofuniversity and those who want to study part-time while working. They areequivalent to the first two years of an honours degree. Most arecreated with the help of employers to ensuretheyare teaching the relevant skills for the local area and arenormallydesigned with and validated by aspecific university

While the course will still involve academic study,therewill also be practical work-related learning.

Students can then complete the final year of the degree at the partner university