Self-test Maintenance specialist with federal certificate (BP): Is this course suitable for me?

What does the day-to-day work of a maintenance specialist with a federal certificate look like?

Maintenance specialists work in industrial, commercial or service companies, such as industrial production plants, transport companies, power stations, logistics distribution centers, banks, real estate management companies or hospitals. They are responsible for the maintenance, repair and servicing of technical equipment.

Maintenance specialists monitor, check, measure and evaluate the condition of machines and systems using control plans. They locate weak points using appropriate measuring and testing procedures, then analyze and rectify them. Depending on the situation, they may also call in specialists. They organize, coordinate and monitor these themselves.

In this way, maintenance specialists ensure that the technical equipment has the longest possible service life. They prevent malfunctions, damage or even production interruptions that can be caused by wear and tear, such as corrosion, ageing or overloading. They therefore play a central role from a management perspective, as their preventative work and measures ensure the functionality, availability and quality of machines and systems, thus enabling smooth operation and continuous production and preventing accidents.

Maintenance specialists carry out their work in accordance with the legal, safety-related and technical aspects of the industry and the client. They not only focus on technical aspects, which requires corresponding technical know-how, but also take economic and ecological aspects into account in their decisions and measures. Working hours can be irregular if technical equipment is operated either non-stop or in shifts. If necessary, maintenance specialists can also lead a small team.

The most important activities of maintenance specialists at a glance:

• Support for machines and systems throughout their entire life cycle
• Visual inspection and monitoring of technical equipment
• Measuring, analyzing and evaluating physical quantities
• Checking the operating data
• Locate, analyze, evaluate and rectify weak points and faults in machines and systems
• Ensuring automated processes
• Organization and coordination for the deployment of specialists
• Ensuring the flow of information for the responsible persons, offices and departments
• Ensuring safety for everyone involved (people, materials, environment)

Target group: Who is the professional examination for maintenance specialists with a federal certificate suitable for?

The courses and the professional examination "Maintenance Specialist (BP)" are suitable for:

• Professionals with basic technical training (EFZ) and professional experience in maintenance
• Professionals with many years of technical work and experience in maintenance
• Prospective supervisors from industry, business and administration who want to take on, implement and manage maintenance tasks professionally

Maintenance specialists should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Independence
• Organizational skills
• Communication skills
• Flexibility and a high level of commitment
• Standby for on-call duty
• Reliability
• Precise, structured and goal-oriented way of working
• Quality awareness
• Sense of responsibility
• Technical understanding
• Networked thinking and action
• Load capacity
• Assertiveness
• Ability to work in a team
• Ability to deal with conflict

Requirements for admission to the federal professional examination for maintenance specialists:

To be able to take the federal professional examination for maintenance specialists, you must:

• Have a federal certificate of proficiency in a technical profession and at least 2 years of professional experience in a technical profession in the field of maintenance

or

• Have completed basic vocational training (EFZ min. 3 years) or upper secondary level training and have at least 6 years of professional experience in a technical profession (including at least two years in the field of maintenance).

and

• Have the required module qualifications A-G (valid for 5 years) or certificates of equivalence:
  • Module A: Plant operation
  • Module B: Maintenance
  • Module C: Security
  • Module D: Documentation
  • Module E: Communication
  • Module F: Logistics/Organization/Procurement/Disposal
  • Module G: Cost and performance control

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the professional examination at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of rejection.

Note: Some schools may be prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the professional examination for maintenance specialists if you do not (yet) meet the criteria for admission to the federal examination. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/examination registration.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter and content of the preparatory courses for the federal professional examination for maintenance specialists are based on the specifications of the sponsoring body of the professional examination, the Swiss Association for Facility Management and Maintenance (fmpro)*.

The learning material is spread over a total of 9 modules, in which the various areas of competence that are fundamental to the professional examination are covered (a selection is given below):

• Module A: Plant operation(Ensuring the availability, safety, reliability and efficiency of the systems, carrying out diagnostics, monitoring and analysis of failures and malfunctions, optimizing systems, etc.)
• Module B: Maintenance(execution of planned and unplanned maintenance, planning and execution of maintenance, inspection and optimization, communication with involved persons and departments, application of maintenance strategies and methods, etc.)
• Module C: Security(Concept creation for the activation of systems, knowledge and application of the relevant laws, regulations and directives in the active area, dealing with extraordinary situations, knowledge and application of the 10 ASA points (EKAS))
• Module D: Documentation(management of checklists/maintenance documents/plant documentation, interpretation and updating of diagrams and technical documents, basic knowledge of reporting and controlling)
• Module E: Communication(Instruction and training of external and own employees, support and advice for external and internal contact groups, management of a small team)
• Module F: Logistics/Organization/Procurement/Disposal(warehouse management, basic understanding of procurement, planning and implementation of removals and transporters, knowledge of warehouse logistics and its optimization)
• Module G: Cost and performance control(carrying out a cost/benefit analysis, cost/performance monitoring, monitoring of energy efficiency and energy-saving opportunities as well as advice on the maintenance budget)
• Module H: Professional skills(Industry-specific basic technical training. This includes knowledge of optimization and improvement potential, project management and specific technical knowledge in the specialist area)
• Module I: Personal skills(Understanding of the necessity of on-call duty, awareness of the need for commitment, sense of responsibility and duty, communication skills, independence, ability to work under pressure and flexibility)

* The federal examination can currently be taken in the following five specializations or sectors:

• Machines and systems
• Building and building services
• Electricity
• Hospital, clinic, home
• Real estate, building fabric

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary depending on the provider. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 2- to 3-semester in-service training course:

• Course fees: between CHF 9,700 and CHF 15,300. Depending on whether your employer is a member of Swissmem, the association of the Swiss mechanical, electrical and metal industry, you will benefit from reduced course costs. Temporary employees also have the option of applying for financial support for this course from "temptraining", the further training fund for the temporary employment sector.
• Examination fee: Candidates pay the examination fee of CHF 2,150 (as of summer 2021) after admission has been confirmed.
• Some providers charge extra for teaching materials, training documents, exam preparation/repetition and the NIV-15 exam. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• The modular training program lasts 2-3 semesters.
• The course comprises between 240 and 430 lessons, which take place all day on a fixed weekday or on two half-days per week (usually Friday evening and Saturday morning).
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for the preparation and follow-up of the lessons, self-study time and practical report. How much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. As a precaution, we recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week.

Degree, diploma and title

The professional examination for maintenance specialists takes place annually in June and October (as of 2021), provided that at least 12 candidates meet the admission requirements, otherwise at least every two years. It can be taken in one of the 3 official languages German, French or Italian.

The federal examination consists of four parts, which proceed as follows:

1. Writing a practical report: prepared in advance, in writing:Candidates submit a practical report to the examination secretariat 8 weeks before the start of the examination. It is part of the admission to the federal examination. The practical report must meet the requirements regarding scope and content. In addition to the title page, curriculum vitae and description of the maintenance activity, this also includes documentation of a maintenance assignment in the candidate's own company. If the practical report does not meet the requirements, it must be corrected within two weeks. If the request for rectification is not complied with or if the practical report still does not meet the requirements, the candidate will not be admitted to the professional examination.
2. Expert discussion on the practical report: 60 minutes, oral (weighted 2-fold):In the expert interview, the candidates first present the main statements of the practical report. They then answer the experts' in-depth questions about the practical report and general questions about technical maintenance.
3. Industry knowledge: 120 minutes, written (weighting 1-fold):In the written exam, candidates work on various industry-specific mini-cases, i.e. descriptions of work situations that they analyze, assess and solve. The professional examination can currently be taken in the following sectors:
   - Machines and systems
   - Building and building services
   - Electricity
   - Hospital, clinic, home
   - Real estate, building fabric.
4. Technical maintenance: 120 minutes, written (weighting 1):Candidates deal with general, industry-independent theoretical and application questions on technical maintenance, which they answer in writing.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Maintenance specialist with federal certificate".

In French: "Agent de maintenance / Agente de maintenance avec brevet fédéral"

In Italian: "Specialista in manutenzione con attestato professionale federale"

In English: "Maintenance specialist, Federal Diploma of Higher Education"