Basic vocational training as a Federal VET Diploma plumber is an advantage if you want to take the Federal Professional Examination for Head Plumber, but is not mandatory. You can also start this continuing education, further training with a related profession and at least four years of professional experience in the sanitary industry (2 years for sanitary fitters Federal VET Diploma) after your apprenticeship.

The following personal requirements are necessary for a Chief Fitter with Federal Diploma of Higher Education:

• Ability to lead employees and work in a team
• Sense of responsibility
• Strong environmental awareness
• Interest in physical processes

You can repeat the final examination to become a plumbing fitter with Federal Diploma of Higher Education twice, but you must take the entire examination, both oral and written. The same conditions apply as for the final examination.

Head plumbers are people who carry out their professional activities in accordance with technical principles using state-of-the-art technology. They mainly work in a team and are usually in middle management in the companies. Suissetec head fitter for plumbing means that the person has been examined in accordance with the guidelines and regulations of the Federal Professional Examination, which is supervised by Suisstec (Swiss-Liechtenstein Building Services Association) as the responsible body.

A total of 18 module qualifications are required for the final examination to become a head plumber with a federal certificate. Following the update in 2015, these are: installation systems; pipe performance systems; commissioning and troubleshooting for installations; demonstration technology; work preparation 1 supply; work preparation 2 disposal; work preparation 3; order processing 1; property drainage 1; construction technology; water 1; building technology; technical calculations 1; gas 1; project planning 1; legal principles; personnel management; costing 1

You will learn the following skills during your training as a head plumbing fitter:

• Leading teams and working groups in a success- and goal-oriented manner through professional and social competence
• complement their technical skills with a sound knowledge of the relevant professional standards, guidelines and directives
• are able to link different areas of competence and apply them appropriately to the situation
• are competent contact persons for customers, interested parties and employees
• plan the use of the materials required for their work, taking into account economic efficiency and environmental compatibility, and contribute to environmentally friendly construction by promoting renewable energies

Chief plumbing fitters carry out the following activities:

• manage technical and administrative installation work in the sanitary sector
• install complete cold and hot water supplies and drainage systems
• create schedules and organize the construction site
• create material lists and organize the prefabrication of system parts
• order materials and plan personnel deployment
• inform themselves about the provisions of the contract for work
• check the assembly documents for completeness
• check compliance with laws, standards and regulations, including occupational health and safety regulations
• instruct the plumbers and apprentices
• put the installed fittings, apparatus, components and piping systems into operation
• carry out functional checks and rectify faults
• explain the correct operation and maintenance of the system to customers in an understandable way
• record the material consumption
• prepare the documents required for billing
• lead construction site meetings and discuss work processes
• record decisions, deadlines and responsibilities in minutes

In order to obtain the federal certificate for "Head Fitter for Plumbing" and to be able to train apprentices, you need proof of a vocational trainer course of at least 40 hours or a vocational pedagogical qualification of 100 hours. You can find out more about this directly from the schools.