Chemical Engineering Anyone

[gscrym]

I've registered to do either a C&G level 3 Process Plant angineering or an HNC Chemical Engineering course through home study. Are there any chemical engineers about who can give me some moral support. I'm a process operator at the moment so have access to the practical side but I was never very good at maths. I need to do something like this because I keep getting told it's the minimum that companies look for when recruiting.
Any help would be great.

I am a chemical engineer. I did my degree at Teesside University. Good luck! I will ask the operators at work what level of qualification they have - I know that all have done NEBOSH training, and the senior operators have C&G.

Are you looking for an operators job or plant manager/engineer?

I applied for a job with another company. Even knowing what qualifications I didn't have, they interviewed me and I thought I did well at the interview. They phoned me later to say they were still deciding but that an NVQ level 3 or an HNC was the minimum they required. My work won't fund me doing either so I thought I'd do it myself. And guess what, it's Teeside that's doing it!
I thought it wouldn't do any harm to get a qualification and seeing as DS is at school next year, I'll have more time. I work shifts just now so fitting things in should be okay.

Meant to say, I've been an operator for nearly 10 years and have done projects and stuff. Hopefully that'll help.

Your project work etc will definitely help your studies - and the fact that you have practical knowledge of Chemical plant. The maths is tough, but if you can grasp the basic concepts, you are half way there! Engineers like things that are logical and make sense - so the maths is applied rather than equations for the sake of it!
As regards job prospects - I think it depends on the company you apply to. The bigger ones like to see qualifications & paperwork, more so these days with issues like SHE, competence training, human factors, risk assessments etc. My company used to take anyone who could read and write and pass a medical, and train them to C&G. Nowadays, new recruits are expected to have better qualifications - although they still pay for operators to do the training. Our current works manager worked his way up from stacking drums - he has a degree in Production Engineering now - all paid for by the company.

I wish I worked for your company. The maths might not be too much of a problem as my dad is a complete maths geek and an instrument technician. Once I get the info through, would you mind if I shouted on you for a bit more advice? I would be hugely greatful.

There's hope for me yet, I can stack drums! Management, here I come.

lol @ proficiency in drum stacking - my favourite training was FLT and cherry picker, closely followed by rescue training. I would love to help (if I can!!) give me a shout at dleafe at hotmail dot co dot uk.

Thanks for that. My claim to fame was that I caused more damage to a set of forks than the leasing company had ever seen. I nudged a ridge in the floor at speed and ripped them off. Well not so much ripped as shattered! Loved escape training and pottering in a smoke filled room. I missed out on cherry picker training due to DS.

how are you getting on?