Employers get
a technician who can maintain, fault-find and repair the electrical aspects of your plant, equipment and systems, involving anything from motors and power supplies to low- and high-voltage distribution. They will carry out planned, preventative and reactive maintenance to keep your operation running.
Learners get
a Level 3 qualification that is recognised by both the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), opening doors to sectors including energy, manufacturing, processing, utilities and leisure and entertainment.
Key information
LEVEL - Level 3
DURATION - Typically 42 months to gateway, plus four months for end-point assessment
QUALIFICATION - Level 3 Engineering Apprenticeship - Engineering Maintenance Technician, Electrical (ST1426)
FUNDING BAND - £27,000
Engineering maintenance technicians keep plant, equipment and systems running.
This apprenticeship trains candidates to carry out planned and preventative maintenance to stop problems occurring, and respond to issues when they do.
Apprentices are evaluated by an independent end-point assessor against the occupational standard. There's no mandatory qualification attached to this standard, but employers who want additional certificated evidence can add a formal Pearson BTEC Diploma or EAL NVQ at an extra cost.
The standard carries professional recognition with both the IET and the IMechE for Engineering Technician (EngTech) status.
Make UK is the national body for UK manufacturing, and our Tech Hub in Aston trains engineering apprentices for employers of all sizes.
Training happens in a purpose-built facility with industry-experienced tutors, rated 4.8 on Trustpilot and Ofsted Grade 2, working with employers of every size and sector.
And if you'd like to see the equipment and facilities behind this training for yourself, take a look at the Tech Hub.
FAQs
A technician trained through Make UK can maintain workplace health, safety and environmental compliance by carrying out risk assessments and following emergency procedures.
They can conduct maintenance work, from pre-job briefings to coordinating with other maintenance disciplines.
Technicians can prepare for maintenance work, organising resources and parts, and review and accept job requirements safely, including working to a safe system of work or permit to work.
They can ensure work meets regulatory, industry and company quality standards, complete jobs correctly with a proper sign-off and handover, and create accurate maintenance records, from job reports to fault-finding reports.
On the electrical side, they can carry out planned, preventative and reactive maintenance on electrical plant, equipment and systems, diagnose faults and solve problems, and remove and replace electrical components.
They can inspect, examine and test electrical plant, including insulation and continuity checks, thermographic surveys and voltage levels, and keep maintenance tools and equipment available and performing.
Technicians also contribute to improvement activities, supporting safer, more reliable, more sustainable or more efficient ways of working, and keep developing their own skills through continued professional development.
Technicians trained to this standard can work alone or as part of a team, typically reporting to an experienced maintenance engineer. They interact daily with other technicians, engineers and support operatives, plus operations, quality and, where relevant, auditors, regulators and customers on site visits.
This standard applies across energy, manufacturing, processing, utilities, and leisure and entertainment businesses.
Typical job titles: Electrical craftsperson, electrical maintenance technician, engineering maintenance technician, engineering technician, maintenance engineering technician, maintenance technician, maintenance and operations engineering technician, control and instrumentation maintenance technician, control, instrumentation and automation technician, control and instrumentation craftsperson, mechanical craftsperson, mechanical maintenance technician.
As an engineering maintenance technician apprentice, you'll spend most of your time in the workplace, applying what you're learning to real maintenance tasks on live plant and equipment.
You'll attend the Make UK Tech Hub in Aston for practical training for skills including: statutory regulations and safety, working efficiently in engineering, using and communicating technical information, business improvement, hand fitting, maintaining electrical equipment and systems, wiring and testing electrical equipment and circuits, wiring and testing programmable controller-based systems, and assembling, wiring and testing electrical panels and enclosures.
By the time you finish, you'll be able to safely maintain, fault-find and repair electrical plant, read and interpret drawings and specifications, and apply core electrical engineering principles including Ohm's Law, transformer theory and power calculations.
You'll also be confident working with three-phase systems, programmable logic controllers and safety-critical isolation procedures.
Employers who want additional formal certification can also add a Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering or an EAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Engineering Maintenance (electrical pathway). Neither is mandatory, and the NVQ is assessed entirely in the workplace across years two to four, with no further time needed at the Tech Hub.
Technicians move into senior and lead maintenance roles, specialist electrical or controls positions, maintenance engineering, and further study.
The programme typically takes 42 months to gateway, plus a further four months for end-point assessment. Exact timings depend on prior experience, occupational role and assessment of prior learning and knowledge.
Training is split between your workplace and structured practical skills training at the Make UK Tech Hub, mapped directly to the standard's knowledge, skills and behaviours.
Your employer decides when you're ready for the gateway. You'll need to confirm you're ready for EPA, have achieved English and maths in line with the apprenticeship funding rules, and submit a portfolio of evidence.
End-point assessment typically takes four months, delivered through City & Guilds, and consists of three parts: an observation with questions, an interview underpinned by your portfolio and a multiple-choice test.
The observation and interview are each graded Fail, Pass or Distinction, while the multiple-choice test is graded Fail or Pass. Your overall apprenticeship grade is Fail, Pass or Distinction.
This qualification is for new entrants starting out in electrical maintenance, and no prior experience is expected.
Apprentices who are safety-conscious, methodical and comfortable working on live plant and electrical systems will get a strong grounding in keeping complex equipment running.
Applicants will need four GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including maths, plus English at grade 4 or above. Anyone with English below grade 4 will need at least a grade 3, and if they're under 18 at enrolment, they'll continue studying English and work towards Level 2 Functional Skills within their first year.
The Engineering Maintenance Technician (Electrical) – Level 3 apprenticeship is government-funded through the apprenticeship levy. The funding band for this programme is £27,000.
If your business pays into the Growth and Skills Levy, training costs are drawn from your levy account.
If your payroll is under £3 million a year, you don't pay the levy. The government covers 95% of training costs and you contribute 5% of the training fee plus the apprentice's wage, which must be in line with the national apprenticeship wage.
The optional BTEC Diploma and optional EAL NVQ each carry their own registration and certification cost, agreed with your employer separately and invoiced in the first year, as they aren't covered by the levy.
Find out more about how funding works here.
Ready to take the next step?
For employers
Every business's maintenance needs are different, so the best place to start is a conversation about yours. Talk to us about taking on an electrical maintenance apprentice.
Curious how the whole process works? See how it looks for employers, from your first conversation with us through to your apprentice's first day.
Better still, come and see it in person. Book a visit to our Tech Hub in Aston and get every question answered face to face.
If you're still weighing up whether an apprenticeship is right for your business, see why employers take on apprentices.
For learners
Ready to get started? Find out how to apply and what to expect from the process.
Want to get a feel for what training at the Tech Hub here is actually like? Hear from apprentices who were once exactly where you are.
Think a different discipline might suit you better? Take a look at our other programmes.
If you're a learner deciding whether this route is for you, read why an apprenticeship could work for you.