This new Level 4 Higher National Certificate with Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) status course is designed to educate future engineers with greater flexibility and technical capability by exploring the integrated nature of manufacturing and mechanical engineering. It is intended for students who have completed advanced studies , or who have more varied experience who want to pursue a career in engineering and manufacturing. The courses contain significant project-based learning including laboratory investigations, design work, projects, case studies and tutorials.
About the course
The course aims to:
-develop skills in manufacturing and mechanical engineering
-encourage students to develop solutions to problems
-establish employability skills and develop a multi-tasking and multi-skills approach.
Knowledge of manufacturing engineering and systems is developed by:
-understanding the general engineering industry and related work placements
-examining historical, theoretical, and ethical positions in response to engineering design
-considering the relationship between traditional skills and developing technologies
-being aware of the creative process of engineering design
-understanding the behaviour of materials subjected to complex loading systems
-determining the dynamic parameters of power transmission system elements and rotating systems
HNC core units:
-Engineering Design
-Engineering Maths
-Managing a Professional Engineering Project
HNC specialist units:
-Computer Aided Design and Manufacture (CAD/CAM)
-Industry 4.0
-Industrial Robots
-Production Engineering for Manufacture
-Quality and Process Improvement
Assessment
Coursework is continually assessed through a variety of individual and group assignments, such as practical activities, written reports and presentations.
What are HTQs?
Higher Technical Qualifications are new or redesigned Level 4 and 5 qualifications (such as HNCs and HNDs) that have been approved against occupational standards in their sector. These qualifications have been developed by UK awarding bodies, working with employers and businesses to make sure that students get the specific training, knowledge and skills they need for their chosen career.
Bursaries
We want our courses to be accessible to students from any background, so we’ve put together a cash support package in the form of non-repayable bursaries to provide financial help where it’s really needed. Details for 2025-26 will be advertised once approved by the university regulator – the Office for Students (OfS). Please check our website - www.nottinghamcollege.ac.uk - for more information.
Your career and progression
The Level 4 HNC qualification with HTQ status is widely-recognized in its own right and provides students with the skills required for employment in a broad range of industries with either a managerial or technical bias.
After successfully completing the Level 4 HNC, you could top-up your qualification to the Level 5 HND with HTQ status here at Nottingham College, or progress to a degree at a wide range of higher education providers.
Alternatively, you could pursue a career in research and development, design, technical sales and production.