SERC Helps Chris Transform his Engineering Expertise into a Qualification

Gaining a higher-level qualification at SERC has given one engineer from Merseyside the confidence to step up at work.

Chris Nock (36) works in the training section of BES (British Engineering Services) Group in Warrington, Cheshire. He says that, after many years’ experience as a mechanic and an engineer, he realised he could only use his skills at the next level if he got an academic qualification.  

Chris started working life as a Level 3 Light Vehicle apprentice, working as a mechanic for Fiat and Alfa Romeo. He then took an apprenticeship in the army, learning to fix and maintain heavy vehicles. After leaving the army, he progressed to become a supervising engineer before joining BES where, he says, his knowledge is put to good use: 

“BES supports health and safety through inspecting industrial vehicles, to see that clients’ equipment is safe. I maintain and repair the vehicles we use to train inspectors, such as forklifts, or excavators. The ones we have are of necessity fairly old so that trainees can spot problems, but these vehicles can break down. Getting them up and running again can be a challenge, but it is very satisfying work.  

“However, I could see that there were plenty of opportunities to progress to an engineering surveyor role and work out in the field. I felt I could do the job but needed a Level 4 qualification.” 

BES has worked with SERC over the years to meet training requirements and skills needs and has a good relationship with the college, so when Chris approached his manager for support in professional development, there was no question as to who would be the training provider. BES saw Chris’s potential to progress and funded the online training. 

Of the course, run through SERC’s Business Services team, Chris says:  “I have just completed an HNC Level 4 Professional Recognition in Engineering. This means you take all you have learnt through your career and write it up, supported with evidence, to show that you have the knowledge and skills equivalent to a Higher Education qualification.  

“I took the course online with regular tutorials. It was a bit daunting at first; I didn’t know what to write - I knew I had knowledge and experience, but I was concerned about gathering and presenting the evidence. My tutor, Barbara Murphy, helped enormously with that. She encouraged me to state what I knew and break down tasks into manageable bits, and then get evidence to support what I had written. When you start, SERC sends out a pack with an outline of the course and examples of how to present work. Through all this support, I quickly got to grips with the course, and was soon working ahead of the expected timescale. The best bit for me was looking back and realising how much I had achieved, and the value of what I had done over a 21-year period.” 

Chris says that the study has already changed the way he works: 

“The course makes you look at a task more professionally; you take a more managerial approach, you are more reflective on how you are responding to a challenge, why you make the decisions you do, and you assess the risk. 

“The qualification will let me progress to the next stage in the industry. I will still be learning on the job, as some bits will be new to me, but I will have the Level 4 under my belt, and that’s made me more confident. I now see the value in what I have been doing in my day-to-day job, whereas I was just taking it for granted, but it all counts for something." 

Chris adds that anyone wanting to progress should not hold back from getting professional qualifications:  

"I would advise anyone to just go for it and get recognised. SERC was great throughout- the communication; the teaching; the timescale – the whole process was very smooth. Even while I was on the course, I started to feel more confident in myself, knowing I was on track for a higher-level qualification and it was based on my professional experience.” 

SERC’s Business Services team works with around 5,000 businesses to upskill existing employees, to develop technology for business growth and to create new products, services or markets, as well as training individuals to provide them with the skills to progress their career.