It is not possible for you to start continuing education, further training as a heating engineer immediately after your final apprenticeship examination. You must have gained at least two years of professional experience after your basic training in order to be admitted to the examination, and the schools usually stipulate this minimum amount of professional experience as an admission requirement for the preparatory course.

The courses to become a head heating fitter with a federal certificate are part-time continuing education, further training, but this does not necessarily mean that you can do this alongside your full-time job. Classes usually take place on Fridays (full or half day) and Saturdays, so you will certainly have to reduce your workload somewhat or possibly redistribute it.

After continuing education, further training as a Chief Fitter for Heating with Federal Diploma of Higher Education, you will have the necessary skills to lead teams and employees and assign them in a targeted manner. You coordinate the work and carry it out independently. You are also a good point of contact not only for employees, but also for customers when it comes to heating technology and all its factors, such as energy supply, renewable energies, heat distribution, distribution and generation.

The advanced training courses for head fitter heating effectively prepare you for the Federal Professional Examination FPE and are strictly based on the examination regulations. This means that you will acquire 15 module qualifications during continuing education, further training, without which admission to the final examination is impossible unless you have certificates of equivalence. These modules can be found in the areas of work organization, professional knowledge, practical work, finance, personnel management, project planning and applied legal issues, namely: pipe installation; welding technology; order processing; construction technology; I&C 1 (measurement / control / regulation); hydraulics 1; thermodynamics 1; building technology; technical calculation; calculation 1; legal principles; personnel management; technical drawing; heating technology 1 and heating technology 2.

The duration of continuing education, further training to become a FPE heating engineer can vary depending on the training provider, but is usually three semesters.

The final examination "Chief Fitter for Heating with Federal Diploma of Higher Education" comprises two parts, a written case study and an oral technical discussion. The written part of the examination takes place within four hours and is scored twice. The specialist discussion, which takes place within 45 minutes, is weighted once. If the overall grade is 4.0 or higher, the final examination is deemed to have been passed.