An interview with Nigel, CAL International’s first apprentice to achieve their HNC in engineering!

A Higher National Certificate (HNC) is a qualification which advocates ‘learning  by doing’ and gives essential skills that can be used in a particular job. They are highly valued by employers and can also count towards membership of professional bodies and other employer organisations.

Nigel is the first of CAL International’s apprentices to achieve their HNC in Mechanical Engineering! He studied the qualification at St. Helens College part time whilst working at CAL. Here’s what he had to say…

Why did you pursue a career in engineering?

From a young age, I have always been interested in taking things apart to see how they work and trying to put them back together. The reason why I chose engineering is because I wanted to have a job where I could design products which could simplify and improve lives and to be able to solve different problems daily.

How long is the HNC course and where have you been studying?

The course is 2 years part-time, so I spend one day a week at College. I am studying my HNC at St. Helens College.

What topics/modules does the course cover?

Thermodynamic

Engineering Science

Hydraulic and Pneumatics

Programmable Logic Controllers

Maths

CAD

CNC

What do you feel that you have gained from the HNC?

I feel that I have gained a better understanding of how and why things work the way they do. My daily work has improved and I am now able to complete work to a distinction level. I also feel better equipped at putting formulas into real work problems.

What have you enjoyed most about working at CAL International during your apprenticeship?

Working at CAL has helped me understand more about engineering by applying what I learn from College into real life projects. I love the vast experience and knowledge behind each CAL engineer and how they are always sharing that knowledge and giving me advice/guidance. This is something you can’t learn in College or from books.

The best thing about CAL International is that they treat their apprentices like qualified engineers meaning you gain so many skills and learn new things daily. It is amazing to be able to design a project and then really see it working.

CAL International is a concept to production engineering company based in Knowsley, Merseyside. For more information about us and our services: