Peedee

iTrader: (4)

Anyone completed one? If so, how was it? Did it help you get a good job etc?

Thanks,

Pete.

Evansawd

I completes a motorsport engineering degree at Coventry uni which by all accounts is one of the better uni's for this course due to reputation and industry connections. It's a rat course and did learn a hell of a lot but also have mixed feelings.
The course involved a huge amount of wasted time and lectures....actual term of lectures based around the body and functions of the human system. Now don't get me wrong I'm into my fitness and rugby etc and found it a very great subject but relating it to motors port engineering I thought was a joke. The justification is that we need to know the mechanics of the human body and how it reacts to forces and all created by cars......well Yeh interesting but how is that fundamental. Surely as engineer's creating a part or redesigning a failed item we would give a monkeys about how glucose is broken down by the body.....

As for jobs Yeh it opens up a huge door but be prepared for knockbacks. Following uni I aplied for maybe 2dozen motors port engineering related jobs but every time knocked back based on the company wanting a minimum of 2 years experience. Understandable yet I've just spent 3years and £20k trying to better myself when in realism an appretership may have been the right choice. Where does one gain "experience" without being given the opportunity to in the first place.

Anyway if you have any questions I'd be happy to help. And don't let me put you off j know lads who have some fantastic jobs in the industry and others who have let go of the motors port bit and just do engo needing based

EddScott

I haven't done the motorsport degree but know a few people that have.

I used to race RC in swansea and a few of a boys were on the course. Sounded great to me and they got some good jobs from it. One lad went to work in R&D of Ford and told me without question the MK2 Focus RS was going to be FWD and I got rinsed for mentioning such on here - back in the day obvs.

Other lad got a job with Bridgestone which later became Pirelli and he goes to pretty much every F1 race. To say his job is awesome is an understatement.

More recently one of the boys in my local RC club finished the course last year and did some work experience at some kind of test facility - almost wrote off an S1 test mule not long ago.

To me, I've only seen the positives and thats only 3 people but seemed like a decent route into motorsports or something other than a spanner monkey for ATS.

Ash Webster

i did a motorsport course for a few years at college . before i applied to this job - shows good project work and planning. now i drive an ej20 but i work on stuff which uses ej200's

sunny1989

I too studied at Coventry university but on an aerospace engineering degree, I had plenty of friends who studied Motorsports eng at Cov and we shared adjacent workshops etc.

Most motorsports friends went into the aerospace industry post uni believe it or not.

neil-h

Same stands for most jobs though, your best bet is to either do an apprenticeship or apply for a graduate scheme.

Peedee

iTrader: (4)

As always, great advice guys, thanks.

I am leaving the Army after 13 years service and I will be out next July. To get into the Automotive / Motorsport sector, I think the best way to go is get a degree and progress from there. I have spent the last 13 years as a mechanic so am already fairly well versed in how engines work, I also work in my spare time for a Subaru specialist in the South East to gain experience, which has, quite frankly, been invaluable, plus I love it which is a bonus lol! I'm too old for an Apprenticeship (34) so that's DEFINATELY out of the question. I'm aiming to get into any form of automotive / Motorsport and any field really. However, I understand that in this sector I have to be realistic so am certainly not expecting to complete the degree and end up as Red Bulls F1 chief mechanic within 3 hours!

njkmrs

Nowt wrong with setting your hopes high fella.
Good luck with it.
Regards

Peedee

iTrader: (4)

I'm also considering doing an external degree guys. I've been looking into the 'Motorsport Academy' degree (part of Staffordshire Uni). Anyone got any experience with these guys?

Ash Webster

|I started my apprenticeship at 26... Plus there are people in this years intake who are 30. So dont worry about age! it's all about experience nowadays

Evansawd

Yeh agreed most job opening now ask for a required minimum term of experience. If you don't have them your not likely to get them and that's not limited to motorsport.

On the flip side of a 3year degree and moaning about lack of jobs wanting no experience......we had a lad who finished with a 3rd class degree in mototsport engineering and didn't know the difference between a turbo and a supercharger......fundamentals ffs. Can see why companies want experience when graduates are confused by that byt wabt a job in the industry ha. Oh lord.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

I have a friend's son who is looking to break into motorsports as a mechanic. Would you recommend a degree followed by an apprenticeship, or can they run concurrently?

Ash Webster

From personal experience I can vouch for apprenticeship. I know I can walk into any engineering company in the world and they will take me on. (Not that I want to quit my job !)

Ash Webster

Plus in most you get on the track to a degree and if you want to there's always companies that will sponsor a degree

Paben

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the advice, I'll pass it on.

neil-h

You can do them concurrently (I did) although the degree will most likely be part time, so 5-6 years. Ultimately though it will come down to the company in question, so best to ask during the application process.

Conversely if you do a degree with a year in industry then you're quids in. Yeah it takes longer but that bit of experience really does help in the long run, especially if you're applying for a graduate scheme.

Peedee

iTrader: (4)

How do you go about getting potentially sponsored through the degree? Is it a case of writing off to Motorsport / automotive companies and hoping for the best?

neil-h

Pretty much. Might help to propose a course and the possibility of working for them outside of term time (or possibly doing a part time course). Ultimately treat it like a business proposal and make it really simple for them to see what you bring to the table and what they'd gain.

Peedee

iTrader: (4)

I think I'll be doing an external course I.e OU style so it leaves me room to work a fair bit. I already work weekends for a Subaru specialist gaining experience (and because I love it. I don't get paid and have no intention to. I'm grateful for the experience gained!). I have been offered a place on a Motorsport Engineering degree course already so, if I could get sponsored through it, it would be a bonus. Cheers Neil.

willgb

With your experience I wouldn't personally attempt a degree without having exhausted other avenues, i.e. have you spoken to any specialist recruiters who deal with ex forces personnel? There are a lot of engineering companies in various different fields looking for people like yourself and you may not need to do 3 years unpaid to get there. I'm in the forces myself and although I've already completed mech eng with automotive degree I would consider what you actually want. I've seen guys leave and off the back of sound career advice from the right people land jobs that would typically have stemmed from a graduate career path.