Free course: Introducing engineering (OpenLearn)

Key facts

• From The Open University's free OpenLearn site (UK). Not a Mereka course.^[1]
• Free, about 15 hours of study, Level 1 (introductory), in five sections.^[1]
• Covers design, standards and risk, manufacturing and joining, and electricity from solar panels.^[1]
• Start straight away with no sign-up. A free account (age 13 or over) saves your progress and gets you a statement of participation.^[1][2]
• The statement is not a qualification and carries no credit.^[2]

What you'll do

Five sections follow real engineering work: where engineering came from, how a product is designed, the standards and risk rules engineers work under, how products are made and joined, and how solar panels produce electricity^[1]. By the end you should be able to explain how engineers choose materials and processes to make a given object^[1].

No Mereka Academy course covers engineering or the skilled trades, which is why this one comes from another provider^[3].

What it costs and how to start

It is free, and you can open section 1 right now without signing up^[1]. Make a free OpenLearn account if you want your progress saved and a statement of participation; you must be 13 or over to have one^[2]. The course is in English with UK examples, including a British safety standard in the appendix^[1]. It was first published in April 2014 and last updated in June 2019^[1].

Who it suits

You, if you liked the Engineering & Skilled Trades taster or the build challenge, whether you are thinking of a degree, a polytechnic diploma or a TVET route. The manufacturing and joining section shows work that technicians do every day.

What this means for you

• Fifteen hours is a real look at the thinking behind engineering, not just the maths. If the design and risk sections hold your attention, that is a good sign.
• The course is older and British. The ideas travel well; the standards and rules in Malaysia are different.
• The statement of participation shows interest, not ability. Do not list it as a qualification.
• Malaysian routes into engineering and the trades are in the library's Engineering & Skilled Trades guides.

Your next step

1. Read section 1 this week: Introducing engineering(opens in a new tab)
2. Pick one everyday object at home, sketch the steps from design to factory using the course's ideas, and add the sketch to your Future Map before your 30-day check-in.

Availability and age check

Catalogue and cost observations are dated 23 October 2026. Re-check the provider page before starting, and stop if a payment or unavailable course appears. The linked Mereka Connect agreement sets a minimum age of 16^[4]. It is not an Academy-specific registration policy; check the current Academy terms and any guardian-permission step before enrolling. Use the verified direct sign-in link below if the ordinary login screen omits the Mereka option. External courses use their own accounts and terms.

Access checked 24 October 2026: sign in to Academy with your existing Mereka identity(opens in a new tab). On first use, choose your country and continue; no second password is needed. The ordinary Academy login screen may omit the Mereka button, so use this link or the course button. External course providers use separate access rules.

Availability note, 24 October 2026: some Academy pages kept loading after sign-in during our check. If this happens, keep your work here and use an open-reading alternative or contact the First Move team. Do not enter another password or pay to get past a loading page.