Lift Engineer Apprenticeship

Lift Engineer Apprenticeship

Lift engineers are responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining vertical and horizontal transportation systems such as passenger lifts, service and freight lifts, travelators, moving walkways, and escalators.

Lift engineers must understand all applicable regulations, legislation, best practices, and the electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic components of vertical and horizontal transportation systems. In addition, they must be able to read and grasp technical drawings, plans, and diagrams.

They must also have the technical knowledge to deal with any problems, issues, or crises that may arise in connection with a lift or other vertical or horizontal transportation system, such as cabins stalling between floors, accidents, breakdowns, and vandalism or tampering damage.

The major function of a qualified lift engineer is to verify that lifts can be operated safely. Lift engineers are often needed to install new safety features on lifts and conduct periodic inspections to ensure the safety of lift users. These include emergency call systems, automatic doors, and alignment systems that ensure the doors only open when the cabin is perfectly aligned with the floor. When installing new lifts, lift engineers are responsible for all lift installation work, including connecting all essential electrical and electronic systems and performing start-up and operation. After the lift has been evaluated for compliance with all required standards, the lift engineer produces the lift instruction manual and log book, as well as the declaration of conformity.

Responsibilities

Throughout your apprenticeship, you may help:

  • carry out routine checks
  • isolate problems and do repairs
  • respond to emergency breakdown call-outs
  • install and fit out lifts, lifting gear and lift wells
  • demonstrate new equipment to clients
  • refurbish or replace lift interiors, flooring, panel displays, communication systems, buttons and lighting
  • update written and computerised work records
  • make sure equipment meets health and safety regulations
  • produce risk assessment reports and legal and insurance documents.

Salary

  • Starting salaries for an apprentice is £19,000 per year.
  • Experienced lift engineers can earn up to £40,000 per year.

Working hours

You will typically work 42 to 44 hours per week and you could work evenings, weekends and bank holidays on shifts.

Working environment

You could work at a client’s business.

Your working environment may be cramped, hot, dirty and you’ll travel often.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Qualifications

Qualifications you can achieve as an apprentice lift engineer include:

  • Level 3 Lift and Escalator ElectromechanicEntry requirements for this level include 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship. This qualification will take 36 months to complete.

Skills

On a lift engineer apprenticeship, you’ll learn:

  • the ability to repair machines or systems
  • knowledge of building and construction
  • problem-solving skills
  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • persistence and determination
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently.

Career path and progression

You might work in supervisory management, technical sales, or general building services engineering.

You might also utilise your skills as an employee in other fields, such as manufacturing, engineering construction, or safety inspection.

Updated on December 12, 2022

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