BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering

This full-time Level 3 Engineering course is suitable for school leavers and young adults and equivalent to three A Levels, providing the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the design, development, manufacture and maintenance of engineered products and systems.

Duration 2 years
Qualification Extended Diploma
Start Date Thursday 3rd September 2026
Course Code FDENGIN26T
An engineering student with his arms folded looking at engineering equipment.

TOP COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

  • State-of-the-art Facilities
  • Excellent Tutor Support
  • Small Classes
  • Industry Links

Industry-standard equipment

You will have access to newly installed Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machine tools plus Computer Aided Design facilities.

Theory and Practical Work

Mixing of theory and practical activities, utilising the mechanical test laboratory, engineering machine shop, the new welding and fabrication resource and other college equipment.

Friendly Staff

The engineering team are very supportive, ambitious, and hardworking.

Why Choose This Course?

This course provides the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the design, development and manufacture and maintenance of engineered products and systems. The course combines classroom and practical work and follows the Engineering pathway developed by BTEC. Learning is achieved through the completion of assignments and projects based on realistic workplace scenarios, activities and demands. This course will start to prepare you for the diverse and exciting world of engineering and the wide range of opportunities it offers. You will develop new knowledge/skills in areas such as engineering materials, manufacturing, electronics, Computer aided Design (CAD), design and project management.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

This course provides grounding in general engineering, supporting a variety of engineering roles that candidates may enter within higher education or industry. This engineering course includes:

Year 1: Engineering principles, Delivery of Engineering Processes Safely as a Team, Applied Commercial and Quality Principles in Engineering, Computer Aided design in Engineering, Mechanical Measurement & Inspection Technology and Manufacturing Primary Forming Processes.

Year 2: Microcontroller Systems for Engineers, Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems Fabrication Manufacturing Processes, Mechanical behaviour of materials, Additive Manufacturing processes plus a specialist engineering project.

There will also be some externally set assessments. The course is suitable for school leavers and young adults.

WHERE WILL IT TAKE ME?

Completing the course will allow you to progress directly to the HNC Engineering at University Centre Truro and Penwith or a wide range of engineering degrees in your preferred field, as well as providing a route into employment within the industry in a wide range of engineering disciplines.

The skills you acquire will allow you work in many of the different types of engineering disciplines including Aerospace Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Environmental Engineer, Reliability Engineer, Research and Development Engineer, Materials Engineer, Biomedical Engineer, Marine engineer, Health and Safety engineer, Maintenance engineer, Project engineer amongst many other engineering options.

 

There are no formal examinations on this programme, but a major project will take place in the second year. There will be a lot of independent written assignments to be completed and you will have to be prepared to make a regular commitment to writing up your work to a high standard. Your achievement in this subject is also dependent upon excellent attendance, punctuality, and effort. You will learn in a friendly atmosphere, using a variety of assessment methods:

You will be assessed regularly via written essay work that is conducted either as homework or under timed conditions in class and given feedback on your progress. You also will be assessed regularly on technical terminology. Discussions and presentations are a vital part of our assessment process and you will be expected to contribute to those and reading exercises.

You will review your own performance in 1:1 sessions with your tutor.

Although there is a considerable amount of written coursework to be completed, practical work is a key part of the course.

Three girls sit on a picnic bench and are chatting and laughing.
Course code: FDENGIN26T
Duration 2 years
Qualification Extended Diploma