Typical career routes and salariesTypical career routes and salaries> Production Engineer> Project Manager> Tooling / Methods Engineer> Machine Designer and Programmer> Jig and Tool Designer> Production ManagerBy the age of 30 you could earn £25,000 - £35,000
> Production Engineer> Project Manager> Tooling / Methods Engineer> Machine Designer and Programmer> Jig and Tool Designer> Production ManagerBy the age of 30 you could earn £25,000 - £35,000
Machine Setter
Tool Setter
£12,000 - £15,000
Process TechnicianProduction AssistantPrototype Technician£18,000 - £22,000
EstimatorProduction Engineer
Production Supervisor
£20,000 - £28,000
APPRENTICESHIP
ACADEMIC
Graduate Trainee
Engineer
£20,000 - £25,000
Full time study at University
Intermediate Engineering
Apprenticeship 1 year
BTEC Advanced /
Advanced Apprenticeship 2 - 3 years
Degree in Mechanical or
Manufacturing Engineering
4 - 7 years Part time
A Levels in Maths / Science2 years
Degree in Mechanical or
Manufacturing Engineering3 – 4 years
Full time study at College
BTEC Advanced2 years
Full time study at
College / 6th Form
HNC / HND 3 - 4 yearsPart time
Everything has a method of manufacture. Roles in Production Process and Methods involve deciding how to make an item and how to control the production to maintain good quality and efficiency.
A Production Engineer decides how to manufacture the product, a Designer designs and programs the production equipment and a Production Manager organises and manages the shop floor.
•Good project management skills
•Good communication skills
• Good presentation skills
•Maths and IT skills
•Problem-solving skills
•Good with standards and processes
•Decision making skills
•Ability to work to deadlines
•Ability to work under pressure.
What skills do I need?
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Joseph followed the apprenticeship route for four years with Smiths Aerospace (now Moog) and then became a CNC Setter Operator for five years.
Joseph continued his studies part time and completed a HNC in Mechanical Engineering. After a short break travelling he was offered a job as an engineer by Brockmoor upon his return. He has now been with Brockmoor for one year.
Joseph’s role includes CAD modelling, on and off-line CNC programming, fixture design and order tooling.
Why choose this route?
What happened?
“I have learnt so much on the job – and you can earn just as much with trade skills as you can by doing a degree.”
Joseph didn’t like school very much and decided to go down the apprenticeship route as he could ‘learn and earn’ without being in debt at the end of it all. He liked the fact that the training would be practical and on the job, not in a classroom.
Joseph didn’t know what he wanted to do when he left school. His Careers Advisor suggested that he considered engineering as a career.
Introduction
Joseph Wonowski – Manufacturing EngineerApprenticeship > Employment
Brockmoor Ltd – Dudley
Joseph followed the apprenticeship route for four years with Smiths Aerospace (now Moog) and then became a CNC Setter Operator for five years.
Joseph continued his studies part time and completed a HNC in Mechanical Engineering. After a short break travelling he was offered a job as an engineer by Brockmoor upon his return. He has now been with Brockmoor for one year.
Joseph’s role includes CAD modelling, on and off-line CNC programming, fixture design and order tooling.
Why choose this route?
What happened?
“I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can “I have learnt so much on the job – and you can earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by earn just as much with trade skills as you can by doing a degree.”doing a degree.”doing a degree.”
Joseph didn’t like school very much and decided to go down the apprenticeship route as he could ‘learn and earn’ without being in debt at the end of it all. He liked the fact that the training would be practical and on the job, not in a classroom.
Joseph didn’t know what he wanted to do when he left school. His Careers Advisor suggested that he considered engineering as a career.
Introduction
Joseph Wonowski – Manufacturing EngineerApprenticeship > Employment
Brockmoor Ltd – Dudley
Introduction
Every manufacturing company has to decide its production process. Black Country companies with these needs include:- BST Supplies Ltd, Cab Automotive Ltd, Mueller Europe Ltd, Hadley Group, Huf UK Ltd, Metsec Ltd, Thomas Dudley Ltd, Turner Powertrain Ltd and United Technology Group.
Brockmoor has a cast iron foundry and machining section at its site in Brierley Hill employing 170 people. They cast and machine components for commercial vehicles and off-highway vehicles such as Volvo, Scania and Caterpillar (e.g. gear and transmission cases). The machining of complex shaped castings require programming of machines and design of tooling.
Moog is a global aerospace company employing over 400 people in Wolverhampton. They design a wide range of commercial and military aircraft. Moog utilises many different production operations such as machining and heat treatment, each of which has to be carefully specified to ensure the safety of the parts.
Moog - Wolverhampton
“If you are interested in engineering you need to be good at both maths and science and gain as many qualifications in those subject areas as possible. Even if you aren’t interested in engineering, maths and science credentials give you the skills to get a variety of jobs.”
What happened?
Why choose this route?
Following his degree Adam decided that the best option for him, in order to get his foot on the first rung of the business ladder, was to apply for a graduate scheme. After searching and applying for lots of opportunities on the Prospects website, Adam was successful in gaining his first graduate placement at a Civil Engineering firm.
After leaving Mouchel Parkman, Adam embarked on a six year career at Goodrich Actuation Systems after completing the graduate scheme as a Development Engineer. In his role, Adam managed the full product development life cycle of a number of aircraft components.
Reflecting on his time at Goodrich, Adam said; “As Development Engineer I got a lot of hands on experience which complemented the theory I learned at university.”
In 2013 an opportunity arose for Adam to move to Moog; a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and integrator of precision motion control products and systems, as an Engineering Project Manager. He will be starting his MBA in Business at the University of Birmingham shortly.
Adam believes that engineering is in his blood as both his dad and brother are engineers; “I was bought up in a very engineering focused family and can always remember from an early age being interested in the industry.”
After completing his GCSE’s Adam decided that the best route to achieve his personal career goal, was the academic route so he studied a BEng (Hons) qualification at university after his A levels.
Adam Moorhouse – Global Support Engineering Project Manager A Levels > Degree > Employment > Masters
Production processes in the Black Country
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