On a utilities engineering technician apprenticeship course, you’ll help carry out reactive and routine maintenance on equipment to ensure safety and efficiency.
A utilities engineering technician is in charge of reactive and preventative maintenance on equipment to ensure that water treatment facilities run safely and efficiently.
This apprenticeship covers three roles: electrical, mechanical, and instrumentation control and automation, so you’ll concentrate on your employer’s specific requirements and basic skills and knowledge.
You will generally learn how to inspect, monitor, and repair a wide range of waste and water systems and equipment.
Depending on your role, you could interpret electrical drawings to install, position, or re-locate electrical equipment and cabling; install and maintain mechanical components like motors, pumps, and gearboxes; or inspect and maintain security equipment, telecommunication devices, and alarm systems, among other things.
What you’ll learn
On a utilities engineering technician apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:
- Follow and comply with industry health, safety, and environmental regulations and best practices.
- Find, diagnose, and fix plant and equipment issues.
- Maintain a wide range of waste and water systems and plant and equipment.
- Carry out and adhere to planned, reactive, and predictive plant and equipment maintenance procedures.
- Communicate with, and provide information and advice to contractors, suppliers, and colleagues in line with your position and responsibilities.
- Handover and confirmation of completion of engineering work
- Read, comprehend, and analyse computer data and displays, as well as follow technical specifications and supporting documentation.
- Employ safe working practices and procedures, as well as risk assessments.
- Securely isolate equipment, using authorisation and lock-off methods as required.
- Install, repair, replace, and commission equipment and components as required.
- Perform standby duties to provide 24-hour coverage for fault situations requiring diagnostic testing procedures.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- Three to five GCSEs, including maths and English, or equivalent qualifications. One GCSE in maths is desirable for electrical and instrumentation control and automation roles.
- Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.
Assessment methods
The End Point Assessment comprises three distinct assessment methods:
- Observation with questions
- Interview
- Multiple-choice test
Restrictions and requirements
You’ll need to:
- be able to cope with working at a height
You may work in outlying rural regions.
Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion
- Duration: 48 months
-
Level: 3 – Advanced Apprenticeship
- Relevant school subjects: Science, engineering
- Potential salary upon completion: £25,000 per annum
Apprenticeship standard
More information about the Level 3 Utilities Engineering Technician Apprenticeship standard can be found here.
Apprenticeship end point assessment
For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.