Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanical Basic Hand Skills

L2 Level 2
Part Time
Contact us for dates
International Centre for Aerospace
£: This course is free for unemployed adults or adults in receipt of specific benefits. If eligible, you do not pay the 'Course fee' listed under 'Course fee per year'. A registration fee of £10-40 may be charged. Any professional registration fee / exam fee / other fee listed will need to be paid for. Financial support for these costs may be available. To find our more go to www.cavc.ac.uk/PartTimeFunding

About this course

Our Aero Engineering Mechanical Basic Handskills course will give you all the essential workshop bench skills that you’ll need for future employment! During this course you will complete a practical project and learn the safe ways of using hand tools and pillar drills. Through completing the project, you will learn many practical skills such as reading drawings, marking out, sawing, filing, drilling and the use of a tap and die. 

You will improve your practical bench skills and learn how to apply yourself to the exercise most effectively. 

Course Objectives 
On completion of the course, you will be able to: 

  • apply safe workshop practices when performing basic techniques and skills 
  • read and interpret engineering drawings 
  • correctly use measuring and marking out equipment 
  • practice the correct use of hand tools 
  • manufacture items within tolerance using hand tools 
  • select the correct drilling speeds for various materials 
  • drill, tap and ream holes
  • safely operate a pillar drill

The course is designed to complement the Advanced Hand Skills course and is suitable if you are already involved in maintenance activities.

What you will study

The Engineering Skills course begins with a brief reminder of the Health and Safety issues of working in an engineering workshop. Candidates are then shown how to use a range of measuring instruments such as steel rules, vernier calipers, micrometer and dial gauges. Practical exercises have been prepared that require the candidates to determine various sample vernier readings, proving that the instruments are being interpreted correctly. 

On this course you will work on engineering drawings which are viewed and evaluated to determine which system of drawing projection has been used (first angle or third angle). The following are some example pages from the course notes for this stage of the bench fitting course, describing how scribing blocks are used to mark out accurately, how engineering drawings depict mechanical components in the various projections and how holes should be marked out for accuracy: 

Examples of notes 

“This leads on to a number of marking out exercises on aluminium and silver steel components. We use dividers, scribing blocks and callipers (amongst other tools) for this. 
Metal components have to be cut and filed using hand tools to produce datum edges. We use scribers, punches, saws, hammers and files (amongst other tools) for this. 
Holes have to be accurately marked out and later drilled and tapped with metric threads.  After assembly of the manufactured components, some holes have to be reamed to ensure a good engineering fit to ground steel locating dowels.  The object of the exercise is to produce a test piece that the candidates can use in the workplace for shaft alignment.  The manufacture of the alignment tool test piece will take several hours to complete and brings into play the interpretation of drawings and the hand tool skills previously gained.  However, all candidates must produce a finished item that complies with the diagram.

Course fee per year

Part-time enrolment fee: £10.00

Course Fee: £51.70

Entry requirements

A background in Engineering would be desirable. Candidate to be committed, motivated and have a successful interview

Important points

  • The College welcomes contact with parents/guardians of students who are under 18.
  • Additional support is available for students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
  • Cardiff and Vale College is committed to inclusion and values diversity. We are determined to promote equality of opportunity and to treat everyone fairly and with respect.
  • Cardiff and Vale College reserves the right to make changes to this course without prior notice.
  • Course fees are subject to change. Your fee will be confirmed prior to enrolment.
  • All courses are accurate at the time of upload or print.
  • Courses can only run if there are sufficient numbers.
  • Please note, if you choose three or more course choices, then you may be referred for a careers appointment first. This does not apply to A Level or GCSE choices.
Key information

Start date

Contact us for dates

Time of day

Day Time

Part Time

30 hours per week

Location

International Centre for Aerospace
Maps & directions
£: This course is free for unemployed adults or adults in receipt of specific benefits. If eligible, you do not pay the 'Course fee' listed under 'Course fee per year'. A registration fee of £10-40 may be charged. Any professional registration fee / exam fee / other fee listed will need to be paid for. Financial support for these costs may be available. To find our more go to www.cavc.ac.uk/PartTimeFunding

Course code

AERH2P02
L2

Qualification

CAVC Certificate

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What our students say

“What stood out for me about CAVC were the fantastic facilities and the smaller class sizes. Having that experience with people who have a wealth of knowledge about the industry is invaluable.”

Aircraft
Harri Stallard
Former Level 3 Aircraft engineering student, now studying the BEng in Aircraft Engineering at CAVC

Career prospects & further study

123,000

The UK Aerospace industry remains as number two on the world stage and the largest in Europe with £35 billion turnover, 123,000 direct employees and 3,900 Apprentices.

Locations

International Centre for Aerospace
International Centre for Aerospace

International Centre for Aerospace Training (ICAT),
Cardiff Airport Business Park,
Rhoose, 
Vale of Glamorgan,
CF62 3DP