Production technician: What does your day-to-day work look like?

Graduate production technicians HF work in small to large national and international companies in mechanical and plant engineering, often also in comparable sectors (e.g. transportation engineering). Here they generally take on specialist and management tasks, initially at lower management level (e.g. team leader) to middle management level (e.g. division or department manager).
Production technicians HF are responsible for the development, construction, installation, use/application, maintenance and optimization of machines, devices, systems and their components (e.g. screws and threads). They are needed in practically all areas of business and industry, for example in transportation, medical technology, the food, chemical and electrical industries or in aviation.
The industry is strongly driven by digital development processes and technological innovations, which production technicians take into account in their work and decisions. They are also an important link between research and development, procurement, manufacturing, production, assembly and sales.

Production technicians HF (current title: mechanical engineering technicians HF) are involved in the entire value chain. Their tasks are correspondingly varied. The following is an overview:

1. Developing projects commissioned by the customer (finding out the customer's needs, wishes and ideas, analyzing machine requirements, evaluating and selecting suitable materials and manufacturing processes, identifying implementation options, calculating time and costs, etc.) and preparing a quotation.
2. Manufacture and assemble the required parts or commission these tasks and monitor the progress of the work. As a rule, a prototype is created first. All the necessary tests are then carried out on this prototype before the original is produced and installed. This ensures that the end product actually meets the customer's expectations.
3. Draw up instructions for use for the product, including not only the specific technical details but also the necessary safety precautions.
4. Delivering a machine, system, device, tool or system to the customer, installing it on site and putting it into operation
5. Provide and conduct training for end users so that they use and operate the product correctly.
6. Throughout the entire planning and production process, they also monitor the budget targets and adhere to them.
7. Finally, they also maintain customer relationships.

The distribution of tasks (weighting and frequency) may vary depending on the task profile/job profile or function and company.

Target group, personal characteristics and skills: Who is the Production Engineering degree program for Production Technicians HF suitable for?

Do you thrive around machines and systems? Are you interested in production processes and would you like to play a key (management) role from the planning to the implementation, maintenance and optimization of systems, machines, tools and technical systems? Are you also enthusiastic about digitalization developments, technical innovations and energy and environmental aspects and do you recognize their central importance for the economy, society and the climate/nature? Then you may belong to the target group of this degree program.

The Production Engineering degree course (formerly "Mechanical Engineering Technician HF, specializing in Production Engineering", currently "Mechanical Engineering Technician HF") is aimed at skilled and technically experienced professionals in the field of mechanical engineering who want to create a good basis for their future career with a practice-oriented, more generalist degree course.

Production technicians HF should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Technical understanding
• Technical and practical/handicraft skills
• Systematic and solution-oriented thinking
• Spatial imagination
• Passion for motorized devices and machines
• Quick comprehension
• Leadership skills and assertiveness
• Sense of responsibility
• Organizational talent
• Communication skills
• Team player

Prerequisites for admission to the Production Engineering degree program at a university of applied sciences with the study objective of Production Technician HF:

As a rule, the following requirements* apply for admission to the HF degree program for production technicians HF (formerly "Techniker HF Maschinenbau, Vertiefungsrichtung Produktionstechnik", currently "Maschinenbautechniker/in HF"):

• Completion of relevant basic vocational training (apprenticeship) with EFZ** (for example: automation technician, design engineer, agricultural machinery mechanic, polymechanic, watchmaker)

Or

• Apprenticeship certificate (EFZ) in another profession or high school diploma, technical college certificate or other equivalent certificate and several years of relevant professional experience in the field of production technology / mechanical engineering.

And

• During the part-time degree program, at least 50% of the time must be spent working in a field related to the degree program.***

In addition:

• Admission "sur Dossier": At some schools, admission is also possible on the basis of a prior individual career assessment. Detailed information can be obtained from the respective school.
• Depending on the school: entrance examination or aptitude test and/or attendance of a preliminary course, for example in mathematics. In some cases, a recognized language diploma in English (level B1/B2) is also required.

Note: In some cases, it is possible to have educational achievements already completed credited. The school of your choice will provide detailed information.

* The universities of applied sciences (HF) decide independently on the admission procedure. There may therefore be differences between the providers. The admission procedure is set out and regulated in the study regulations of the respective HF. It must comply with the relevant legal requirements. More information on this can be found in the answers.

** A list of the relevant EFZ can be found in the "Mechanical engineering" framework curriculum.Hereyou can download the framework curriculum in PDF format.

*** In a full-time training course, work experience or the transfer from specialist training to practice is regulated by internships. As part of production technician HF training with a relevant EFZ, a work placement of 720 hours must be completed; for production technician training at a HF without a relevant EFZ, the work placement comprises 1800 hours.

Subject matter and content of the training

In principle, the learning content and (practical) skills taught in the HF Production Technician course are based on the "Mechanical Engineering" framework curriculum*.

Nevertheless, the universities of applied sciences have a certain amount of leeway when designing their production technician training courses. Which course content is ultimately covered or how it is structured and deepened can therefore vary from HF to HF. The PET colleges can also offer specializations, for example.**

The following is a list of topics that are often covered in a production engineering course at a university of applied sciences:

• Business administration (BWL), economics (VWL)
• Finance and accounting
• Project management
• Corporate management
• Mathematics
• Measurement technology
• Mechanics
• Devices and tools
• Production processes
• Electrical and drive technology
• Communication
• English
• Data management
• Digitalization (Industry 4.0)
• Maintenance
• Energy and environment

The following skills are taught during training as a production technician HF:

• General competencies:Designing and taking responsibility for company and management processes, effective communication adapted to the situation, reflecting on and promoting personal development.
• Occupation-specific skillsAmong other things, the targeted use of development methods for problem solving and innovation development in mechanical engineering, planning, management, execution and evaluation of mechanical engineering projects, development of innovative products, design of assemblies and machines, planning and optimization of production, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of systems.

Good to know:At some schools, the HF course in production technology is designed in such a way that you can obtain the federal certificate for production specialists after the first year. This means that at the end of the course you have two qualifications in your hands.

* The sponsors of the framework curriculum are as follows:

• Organization of the world of work (OdA): Swissmem, Swissmechanik, SVFB Schweizerischer Verband Flugtechnischer Betriebe
• Representation of the training providers: Conference of Higher Technical Colleges KHF-T

The sponsoring body is responsible both for drawing up the framework curriculum and for periodically checking that it is up to date and of high quality.

** Within the framework of a maximum of 10% of the total learning hours, education providers can set content priorities or specializations. The specialization or the corresponding additional competencies must be described in the school curriculum. The protected title of the course, i.e. "Graduate Mechanical Engineering Technician HF" (formerly "Technician HF Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Production Technology") remains unchanged.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs involved in studying to become a production technician HF or the costs you actually have to expect (extra costs included etc.) depend on the provider, the training location and the training model and can therefore vary.

In general, the following costs must be expected for the 4-6 semester HF Production Technician course (formerly "Techniker HF Maschinenbau, Vertiefungsrichtung Produktionstechnik", currently "Maschinenbautechniker/in HF"):

1. Tuition fees:The semester fee depends on the school and your canton of residence. For students residing in the canton of training*, you can expect to pay an average of around CHF 19,300 to 30,000. The costs for the examinations and the diploma thesis are usually included in the course fees.
2. Fees for additional certificatesFor example, in English or project management (IPMA) etc. Whether you can complete additional certificates during your studies varies depending on the provider.
3. Other extra costs:Some providers charge extra costs for the registration fee and the student ID card, for preliminary courses (e.g. in mathematics), teaching materials, special software, licenses, internships, training documents, exams/diploma papers and exam retakes. Find out about the additional costs directly from the HF of your choice.

* Courses at universities of applied sciences are financially supported (subsidized) by the cantons. Students from outside the canton pay higher tuition fees. The following requirements apply in order to receive cantonal subsidies:

• at least two years of residence in the canton
• The course is listed on the EDK (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) list of eligible courses (you will find the link to the list in the answer texts).

The cantonal subsidies are usually regulated by the school; these subsidies are usually already included in the tuition fees stated by the schools.

Duration of study, number of learning hours, educational components, teaching times, teaching format and learning effort

• Duration of study:The degree courses to become a production technician HF (formerly "Techniker HF Maschinenbau, Vertiefungsrichtung Produktionstechnik", currently "Maschinenbautechniker/in HF") are offered both part-time and full-time. In the part-time format, the course lasts 3 years, in full-time 2 years (including internships).
• Number of learning hours:There are different curricula for people with a relevant occupation and those with other occupations, which therefore differ in terms of the total number of hours. With a relevant EFZ, the course comprises at least 3600 learning hours. For courses without a relevant EFZ, the number of learning hours generally increases to 5400 learning hours.
• Educational components:The learning hours are divided into the following academic and practical educational components:
  • Contact studies: e.g. traditional classroom teaching, laboratory or supervised group work
  • Guided self-study: e.g. exercises, tutorials, tasks, reading assignments, research assignments
  • Individual self-study: e.g. preparation and follow-up of lessons, exam preparation, general study time
  • Qualification procedure: These include learning success assessments and examinations as well as the diploma thesis
  • Practice activity:
    • Practice: This refers to a practical activity in a relevant field of activity of at least 50% (applies to part-time studies)
    • Internship: This refers to work in a practice-oriented or real field of work under the supervision of specialists (applies to full-time training)
• Lesson times:The part-time Production Engineering course at a university of applied sciences (HF) is offered at different times, as the schools set their own timetables. For example, lessons can take place on a full working day, two evenings a week or on individual half-days. In some cases, lessons also take place on Saturdays.
• Teaching format:Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face teaching and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning). Please contact the provider directly to find out which formats they offer. You can find an overview of the different teaching formats, their advantages and disadvantages herehere.
• Learning effort:You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up on the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style, learning speed and chosen training model. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week for the part-time model.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons"/"trial lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. Take advantage of this opportunity and contact the school of your choice directly.

Degree, diploma and title

During the course of study to become a Production Technician HF, various qualification achievements must be completed, e.g. in the form of examinations (semester examinations, intermediate examinations), independent practical work (term papers) and presentations. The grades for these qualification achievements are included in the final grades.

Students who have completed all the previous qualifications during their studies are admitted to the final qualification procedure. This consists of a practice-oriented diploma thesis. The thesis deals with a topic from the specialist area and must have a practical or economic benefit. The thesis is written individually and at the end of the course. Here too, the time frame in which the thesis is to be written is determined by the respective HF in its study regulations. The thesis is presented to a panel of experts (a group of specialists) and then defended in a discussion.

The details of implementation are regulated by the respective HF in its study regulations.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the course receive an HF diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected professional title "Dipl. Maschinenbautechniker HF / dipl. Maschinenbautechnikerin HF". (formerly "Technician HF Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Production Engineering")

In French: "Technicien diplômé ES en génie mécanique / Technicienne diplômée ES en génie mécanique"

In Italian: "Tecnico dipl. SSS in costruzioni meccaniche / Tecnica dipl. SSS in costruzioni meccaniche"

In English: "Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Educational in Mechanical Engineering". This is not a protected title, but merely a translation, which is listed in the diploma supplements.