Engineering Maintenance Technician - Dual Discipline Apprenticeship Standard

The programme covers the core knowledge and skills for engineering maintenance, plus one of three specialist options:

Electrical engineering maintenance technician - electrical aspects of plant, equipment and systems, including single-phase and three-phase motors, power supplies and low voltage or high voltage electrical distribution. 

Control and instrumentation engineering maintenance technician - control and instrumentation aspects of plant, equipment and systems, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), flow meters, heat exchangers and safety controls. 

Mechanical engineering maintenance technician - mechanical aspects of plant, equipment and systems, including actuators, fans, pumps, valves, gearboxes and pipework. 

Typical job roles include:

Engineering maintenance technicians work in a range of industries that use plant, equipment and systems, including energy, leisure and entertainment, manufacturing, processing and utilities. Typical job titles for this standard include:

Control and Instrumentation Craftsperson; control and Instrumentation Maintenance Technician; Control, Instrumentation and Automation Technician; Electrical Craftsperson; Electrical Maintenance Technician; Engineering maintenance Technician; Engineering Technician; Maintenance and Operation Engineering Technician; Maintenance Engineering Technician; Maintenance Technician; Mechanical Craftsperson and Mechanical Maintenance Technician. 

The specialist focus depends on the option chosen. Electrical technicians maintain electrical aspects of plant and systems; control and instrumentation technicians maintain control systems and instrumentation and mechanical technicians maintain mechanical systems. Tasks may include preparing for maintenance, inspecting and testing equipment, carrying out planned, preventative and reactive maintenance, responding to breakdowns, identifying faults, replacing or adjusting components, contributing to continuous improvement and completing work records. 

Technicians work with other maintenance technicians, engineers and support operatives and may liaise with operations, managers, quality, research and development, administration staff, auditors, regulators and customers. They must maintain safe and reliable operation, follow relevant industry, health, safety and environmental requirements and sustainability practices, use tools equipment correctly and complete work to company procedures and timescales. 

Individual employers set their own recruitment and selection criteria. Candidates may typically be expected to have GCSEs at Grade 4/C or equivalent, including Maths, English and Science; this is typical guidance rather than a universal entry requirement. English and maths requirements must be met in line with the apprenticeship funding rules. 

Your progress is monitored throughout the apprenticeship through workplace activity and training. The independent end-point assessment takes place after your employer confirms you are ready for the gateway requirements have been met.

Training is typically completed over 42 months, followed by an end-point assessment period of around 4 months. The exact college and workplace training arrangements will be confirmed by the employer and training provider. 

Assessments will include:

Your progress is monitored through workplace activity and training assessments. The end-point assessment includes observation of practical work with questions, an interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence and a multiple-choice test

Before the end-point assessment, the gateway requirements include English and maths in line with the apprenticeship funding rules and a portfolio of evidence for the interview.

The end-point assessment includes three assessment methods:

• Observation of practical work, with questions
• Interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence 
• Multiple-choice test 

Telephone: 01782 254287 (Newcastle office) or 01785 275660 (Stafford office) Email: apprenticeships@nscg.ac.uk 

If you successfully achieve all parts of the apprenticeship, your assessor will discuss with you and your employer the next steps to take. Dependent on your roles and responsibilities, this may be the next level of the subject you have been studying already or a different pathway.

While you are on an apprenticeship your employer pays you a salary and supports you whilst you undertake your training.