Mr. Ling I feel I must take exception to your comment “Everybody's got the opportunity to do a degree in something these days, it's nothing special. Hence HNC/HND is viewed by some as a basic level of education.”
I have had to fight tooth and nail to get my NC level 3 (you call ONC). It is now impossible to get NC or above any where in the Channel islands without day release to England for mature students, most employers here will not pay the huge costs involved to train mature students. If these HNC’s are low qualifications on the mainland it is only because they are readably available.
I feel all the qualifications only require people to turn up and absorb a little knowledge.
The real commitment is a mature student with a family whose employer is very happy with, getting up at 5.30 once a week, flying to Jersey / Eastliegh airport for 5 years missing half the first lesson, finishing before the end of the last lesson and flying home on the last flight in order to get home at half past nine at night. Just to get a HNC, not including delays, diversions and unplanned overnight stays.
Nine years for a degree.
Only to find a youngster still wet behind the ears banded above them half way through this. because a bit of paper says so.
I think day release students should get special recognition at least the old C & G showed practical experience. These vanished approximately 15 years ago in the Channel Islands perhaps the day release NC and HNC should take on the same recognition that the C & G gets.
Just sit back and imagine doing your degree again over the next nine years.
Also I would like to add Medical Techs or what ever they are called, tend to undertake more extensive duties in rural areas out of necessity. Where as hospitals in cities tend to only specialize in certain areas Critical care, orthopedic, coronary care, ETC.
