Design engineer
Design and Technology, Mathematics and Design and Technology at A level, then a Level 6 apprenticeship or a degree.
the nearest apprenticeship standard, a bachelor’s degree · 10 standards and 10 school subjects share ideas with this job · Skills England, ESCO, DfE subject content
Level 6 — England’s qualification levels run 1–8: GCSE is 2, A level is 3, a bachelor’s degree is 6.
Which subjects build towards it?
Bar — strength of the overlap relative to the strongest subject (1.00); not a grade or an entry requirement.
DfE subject content · matched to the apprenticeship standards below by sch.today
Design and Technology leads because the job and the course share the same ideas: material selection, computer-aided design, statistics, material property.
All subjects and shared ideas10
| Subject | Match | Shared ideas |
|---|---|---|
| A level Design and Technology | 1.00 | material selection, computer-aided design, statistics, material property, systems thinking |
| A level Mathematics | 0.56 | kinematics, integration, equilibrium, calculus, dynamics |
| GCSE Design and Technology | 0.40 | material selection, material property, use methodologies for user-centered design, design decision, systems thinking |
| GCSE Physics | 0.30 | free body diagram, equilibrium, alternating current, direct current, friction |
| GCSE Chemistry | 0.28 | material property, material selection, equilibrium, model limitation, data interpretation |
| GCSE Computer Science | 0.26 | ethics, graphics, vulnerability, program design, embedded systems |
| GCSE Biology | 0.13 | conclusion, scientific method, statistical analysis, data presentation |
| A level Further Mathematics | 0.13 | kinematics, integration |
| GCSE Mathematics | 0.12 | kinematics, trigonometry |
| A level Business Studies | 0.11 | investment appraisal, product life-cycle, change management, leadership |
Which apprenticeships lead here?
Apprenticeship standard — the official list of what an apprentice in one job must know and be able to do; the level says how advanced it is. Level 3 can start straight after GCSEs.
Skills England, contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Where are these subjects taken most?
Secondary schools with at least 30 pupils in Year 11, ranked by the share taking Design and Technology, Mathematics and Design and Technology, weighted by how strongly each subject leads here.
Ranking — shows what pupils study, not how well a school prepares them for the job.
DfE subject entries
More schools9
What the job is
Design engineers develop new conceptual and detailed designs. They create the look for these concepts or products and the systems used to make them. Design engineers work with engineers and marketers to enhance the functioning and efficiency of existing devices.
Occupations and their descriptions: ESCO classification of the European Commission, © European Union.
This is a model of overlapping content, not careers advice or entry requirements, which employers and training providers set. Occupations and their descriptions: ESCO classification of the European Commission, © European Union. Apprenticeship standards: Skills England, contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. School subjects and entries: Department for Education. Links between them are made by sch.today. Methodology.