HNC or HND

[TomB]

Hi all,

I have just been offered an interview for the February Intake with James Fisher, but even though I applied for the HND route, they are offering me a potential place on the HNC course. I have searched around online for differences in the two but I cannot really find any substantial differences. So I was just wondering if there are any pro's or con's to the HNC course rather than the HND course at Fleetwood.

Thanks, Tom.

[Ducki52]

Mate, don't worry about the pros and cons ofHNC, HND or FD, all those courses will teach you exactly what you need to know to get the most important bit of paper, which is your CoC. Go to whatever course you are told to go to and enjoy it.

[GuinnessMan]

You have to do the HNC before going on to the HND, so you will most likely do both. It's not a case of one or the other...

[thebrookster]

Wrong, I think GM!!

HNC comes before HND, and if they have offered you a HNC position, you won't be doing the HND!!

If you had been offered the HND, then you would have done the HNC courses, but you don't get the HNC qualification (I certainly didn't get it), however as far as I know the FD course is in addition to the HND, so you get the FD and the HND, Confusing, to say the least..........

But yeah, back to the basics, if they have offered you the HNC, then you will only do the HNC.

I THINK this might affect what exemptions you get, as in you may only be exempt up to 2nd Engineer, as opposed to C/E on the other courses, but I honestly could not tell you for certain.

Go for it however, IMO. Better to have something than nothing right now, particularly with the current economic climate. Leastways, that is what I would do.

[Squareleg28]

Yes I think some firms are now only sending you on the HNC - but as mentioned above you of course do get your CoC.

From what I understand the exemptions for higher tickets from college courses are all up in the air at the moment anyway.

Also just to clarify FD is totally seperate from HND - obviously a very similar course, but they are acredited by different people - a uni in the case of the FD and Edexcel or similar for HND. At least at my college people are either "HND" or "FD"

[thebrookster]

I know that when I ended up discussing this with the senior Engineering guys at Glasgow (the ex-Chiefs that is) they were of the opinion that the exemptions were likely to stay, but the rules would tighten up quite a bit. For example, there was some discussion about having everyone sit the IAMI's (currently FD/PD do not have to sit these).

It was all conjecture at the time, but that was what the were putting their money on!! This was in June, so things may have changed since though.........

Quite right about FD, and in Scotland it is called a PD, though up here everything is accredited by the SQA.

[Ducki52]

Thebrookster, we've been told that exemptions are coming to an end soon anyway, in 2017 I believe. I'd imagine this is due to the Manila amendments?

[thebrookster]

Possible Duckie, as I said my info is from a while back, and I have no idea what changes have been made since.

It looks like I shall be going to Warsash at the end of the month for a course, then back to GCNS for another course in December, so I shall see if I can't ask around.

[TomB]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, definitely gonna give it a shot!

[Steve]

So I was just wondering if there are any pro's or con's to the HNC course rather than the HND course...

If you don't complete the HND prior to OOW, you have to do it (or an equivalent) for Chief Mate's. It's the difference between spending 3-4 months at college for Chief Mate's, or 9+ months if you have to do the HND as well.

I assume the HNC course is shorter, so you qualify and start earning money sooner, but you will potentially have more time not earning money later (depending on whether your employer grants paid study leave and how much).

[TomB]

So at the end of training ask to do a HND addition? Rather than when you get to the necessary rank as it may be a shortcut when you get to that stage?