What to study after motor vehicle apprenticeship?

[biboat]

21yo ds1 is coming towards the end of his apprenticeship and is at a bit of a loss as to what to do next.

He doesn't want to continue to work in the motor vehicle industry and would like to study full time but would consider another apprenticeship if it really interested him.

He did great at Nat 5 level, A's in English, Spanish and Modern Studies and a B in Physics, but only passed his English and Spanish Highers, although he got B's in both.

He also did a foundation apprenticeship while at school and so has a scqf level 6 in manufacturing engineering.

No ideas?

Do the skills he has gained translate to boats and planes? They might provide exciting careers.

What did he like/dislike about his apprenticeship? What does he want to do more of?

The apprenticeship he's doing right now actually involves a bit of working on boats which he really enjoys
He's done a STCW sea survival course and he has done his company's s in house MCA approved engine course.

However, he's not sure where to go with this as he's not keen on joining the merchant navy or navy.

His current job is pretty unsociable which is exacerbated by the fact he moved away from home for it.
He enjoyed the first couple of years when he was getting a lot of opportunity to to go on courses and there was a lot of variety in the work he was being given to do.

More ways of going to sea than the Navy, surely?

What about all the racing yacht teams - don’t they need technicians/engineers? And the people cruising the med and destroying Venice with boats the size of cities - they must need teams of people, too. I daresay there are other opportunities. Commercial shipping?

Is there no careers advice included in his apprenticeship?

I went from motor vehicle apprenticeship and then did a couple more years at college (day release) to get qualified as an engineer (whilst still working in the motor industry). I then doubled my wage, plus 10 hours less a week, and far better benefits plus em environment by getting a job with an insurance company as an insurance assessor...

Cruise liners, commercial shipping and super yachts (or at least some of them) are all merchant navy which he had thought about when he first left school but has been put off by the bad experiences of a lot of people he's met who went down that route.

No careers advice from his company as far as I'm aware.
College blocks are few and far between at the moment so it's difficult for him to access careers advice from there.

Realised I didn't put in the op that he wants to move away from the mechanics side of things.

What course did you do at college? @WhoKnewBeefStew

I love the idea that a couple of years Day release gets you qualified as an engineer. It certainly won’t get you qualified as a chartered engineer or an incorporated engineer. These require a degree and years of study afterwards.

However, could DS do an automotive engineering degree or similar? Production engineering? There are lots of options which might suit. Another apprenticeship seems a bit similar. He needs to try and get better qualifications.

He could try for officer selection in the navy, they sponsor through university (my dd is) or how about rolls Royce or another large manufacturing company with good career prospects. Alternatively why doesn't he take a gap few months traveling and working whilst he thinks

Ps @WhoKnewBeefStew it takes many years to be a qualified engineer, dd will be 25 at least before she's chartered and you need a university degree not a couple of years day release. My sil is a chartered engineer (different kind to dd) and it took her 8 years from leaving school to get part qualified (day release) then 5 more to get chartered.

It took me 3 years in an apprenticeship and then a further 3 years night school and day release to become a mechanical engineer. This was a fair few years ago now mind you. I started at 16, I'm now cough closer to retirement these days

He could get a job through Trinity House. They are the people that look after lighthouses and massive ships

You wouldn’t be a Chartered Mechanical Engineer now unless you do the route stucknoue says. The quick route is 4 years MEng degree then around 3 years at least post grad training. For those without the MEng degree it’s longer.

I do feel it’s important not to tell posters what you did years ago because it’s a changed world now. DH is BEng and was Chartered at 24. That’s impossible now. The OPs DS needs to see what educational route he can do but even getting to Incorporated Engineer status takes years.