Which HNC – Electronics – Mechatronics – Hydraulics?

[Mike Kidd]

Rayshields says

Never trust anyone who says they are both mechanical and electrical – it means they know feck all about either

Bit harsh Ray
Most ex royal and merchant navy engineers have very good electrical and mechcanical skills but they can be light on component electronics while the RAF techs seem much more specialised, so I know who I would rather have (multi-skilled) on my team because you just don’t get 3 guys all with individual different skills with experience on a team offshore especially as there has been such an increase in ROV guys over the last 2 years new to the business.
If they have a good grounding of all skills then it is easier to bring them up to a competent level as all training seems to be left to the Sub eng / Sup.

[Ray Shields]

I’ve obviously never met any royal or merchany navy guys offshore then.

all training seems to be left to the Sub eng / Sup.

and if they dont have the knowledge to pass on then in years to come we end up with less and less knowledge. Im sure you’ve met Sub Eng/Supervisors and wondered "how the hell did this numpty get that that level"

10 years ago people would get the oscilloscope out and replace components. Nowadays if your lucky they MIGHt change a card but usually just change the whole unit.

And as for cable splicing "you want me to join these three wires and put it in the water?? I cant possibly do that – sent ashore to get spliced". People seem to be incapable of splicing a light whip these days.

[JB2]

Ray
There is something everyone at some point on here as mentioned, you included and seem to forget is that some Supt/Sup Subeng that appear to not know the part numbers of boards off by hart and or fix them is irrelevant.
When you hire someone of that level you need to know one thing really:- In your 15/20 years experience how many F**k ups have you witnessed been in and will you make sure you don’t do them again or let your team either.
We are hired in for acquired knowledge and man management unless you get a local and brand spanking new trainee in which case you need to get one trained to operate a winch very quickly.
As a tech you are there to fix it and fly it, I’m there to keep an eye on you and deal with client/big picture office etc.
A usual example of this some task comes up you get the lads jumping in do this do that lets go go until you point out something you’ve seen before or see yourself as offshore common sense then its like a light bulb comes on with a dimmer switch as they think through each step to realise what they have just avoided.
That’s why sometimes a Sup may not even be a good tech but he will have seen the same fault time and time again over the years and be able to go straight to it if required.

[Mike Kidd]

Rays says

10 years ago people would get the oscilloscope out and replace components. Nowadays if your lucky they MIGHt change a card but usually just change the whole unit.

And as for cable splicing "you want me to join these three wires and put it in the water?? I cant possibly do that – sent ashore to get spliced". People seem to be incapable of splicing a light whip these days.

Agreed but 10 years ago we were using GEM80 control systems and such like with circuit boards the size of a cornflakes packet and user friendly test points etc etc

As to the splicing of undersea cables that is something you have to learn and if guys are reaching sub eng level and can’t do the basics is that not a failure of the competence schemes or the management of the said schemes because that is the yard stick we all work to or do we ??????

[Kalbo]

I know a guy taken straight on after doing 2 years HNC Mechatronics.

I know a guy taken on with very little qualifications but having just completed a training school program.

I know a guy who got taken on who was a digger driver.

I also know a guy who was taken on and he was a prison officer in Peterhead!

Getting a job in ROVs doesn’t mean you are capable of doing it 😀

Ray
Good for you so you know a few people then!!!

Markno1
FYI The guy is getting on well. I’m sure people would rather have him in our team than some of the more ‘supposedly experienced guys‘ who are around!!!

[Gords6823]

I was having the same problem as you and was unsure on what HNC to actually do?

Having talked to many of the leading ROV companys the answer seemed to be do a Electronics HNC.

I’m in a lucky position where a lot of family and friends work in the ROV industry in some cases high positions within leading companys and have been able to get in and speak to either supervisors, operation managers and in some cases the MD and from the feed back i recieved electronics is what their looking for.

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