What does the day-to-day work of electrical installation and security experts with a federal diploma look like?

Electrical installation experts and safety experts are qualified specialists for electrical installations in accordance with the Low Voltage Installation Ordinance (NIV). They usually run their own planning office or company for electrical installations, electrical safety or electrical inspection, or they have a management function in such a company. They bear both commercial and technical responsibility for all project steps from preliminary clarification, development, planning, costing, coordination and organization through to installation, final inspection and further analyses.

Electrical installation and safety experts develop and implement strategies, concepts and projects, taking into account economic and ecological aspects as well as sustainability issues. In doing so, they incorporate observations and assessments of technical and societal developments. They also take into account the (complex) interactions with related sectors such as ventilation, heating, air conditioning and sanitation and contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of tools, instruments and methods in line with requirements.

Electrical installation and safety experts are the central point of contact for their customers, which include business owners, architects, building owners and users of electrical systems, who they advise and support accordingly, for example on issues relating to energy efficiency and renewable energies.

Electrical installation and safety experts mainly work in the office. However, they often also go to their customers or to the installations and construction sites. Other important tasks include personnel development and the management and training of employees.

The most important activities of electrical installation and security experts at a glance:

• Management of installation and security companies or departments/projects
• Planning, monitoring, realization and responsibility of electrotechnical installation projects
• Preparation of safety-related expert reports, analyses, strategies and concepts
• Assessment of the optimization potential of energy generation plants
• Acquisition of new customers
• Maintaining customer relationships and looking after customers
• Development of corporate strategies including marketing, taking into account ecological, economic, sustainable and social aspects
• Recruitment, training, further training and management of employees

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

Target group and skills: Who is the Higher Professional Examination for Electrical Installation and Safety Experts with a Federal Diploma suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The "Electrical installation and safety expert" course and higher professional examination are suitable for

• for experienced professionals who want to become self-employed and run their own electrical company
• for professionals with relevant professional experience who wish to take on a managerial role
• for determined practitioners who want to prove their skills with a federal diploma and increase their career opportunities
• for interested parties with relevant professional experience who would like to expand and deepen their specialist knowledge

Electrical installation and security experts should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• analytical and conceptual skills
• quick comprehension
• networked thinking and acting
• Independent and reliable way of working
• Sense of responsibility
• Leadership and organizational skills
• Customer and service orientation

Prerequisites for admission to the Higher Professional Examination for Electrical Installation and Safety Experts:

In order to be able to take the Advanced Specialist Examination for Electrical Installation and Safety Experts, you must, in accordance with the examination regulations, pass the examination by the date of the examination:

• Have a federal certificate for electrical project managers for installation and safety or an equivalent qualification

Or

• be the holder of a federal "Electrical Project Manager" certificate (in accordance with the regulations of 25.6.2003)

And

• Have at least 1 year of relevant professional experience after the professional examination

And

• Have the required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence

And

• The thesis was submitted by

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the higher specialist examination at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and instructions on how to appeal in the event of rejection.

Note: Some schools are prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the higher professional examination for electrical installation and safety experts if you do not (yet) meet the criteria for admission to the federal examination. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/examination registration. At some schools, it is also possible to attend the course without the intention of taking an examination. Admission requirements vary depending on the provider.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the Higher Professional Examination for Electrical Installation and Safety Experts is based on the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination, the Swiss Association EIT.swiss (formerly VSEI).

The course material is divided into four modules, which impart the knowledge and skills required for the higher professional examination:

• Module 1:Project management IIProject planning, realization and controlling
• Module 2:Planning and technical processing IIServices, technology and specialist advice, energy advice, safety and technical regulations
• Module 3:Installation and security expertiseMeasurements, analyses, expert opinions, safety concepts and safety documentation
• Module 4:Corporate managementGeneral corporate management, organization, accounting, marketing, public relations, supplier and customer relations, legal aspects of corporate management in SMEs

Note: Candidates with demonstrably sufficient prior knowledge (e.g. holders of a federal certificate as an electrical project manager for installation and safety or planning (formerly electrical project manager) or a federal diploma as an electrical planning expert) may be able to be exempted from individual parts of the examination. Binding information can be obtained from EIT.swiss.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary depending on the provider. In general, the following costs must be expected for the 2- to 4-semester in-service training course to become an electrical installation and safety expert:

• Course feesbetween CHF 15,500 and CHF 21,000. You will receive up to 50% of this amount back from the federal government upon application (regardless of the result).
• Examination feeCandidates pay the examination fee of currently CHF 1445 (as of March 2022) after admission has been confirmed. In addition, there is a fee of CHF 50 for the issue of the federal diploma.
• Some providers requireExtra costsfor
  • Teaching aids
  • Training documents
  • Supervised exercise sequences
  • Simulation tests
  • Use of the laboratory outside lesson times
  • Rental of measuring equipment etc.

Find out directly from the provider of your choice what additional costs you can expect.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• Further training to become an electrical installation and safety expert has a modular structure and lasts 2 to 4 semesters.
• The course comprises between 560 and 608 lessons, which usually take place on one or two evenings per week and/or Saturday mornings.
• Many schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine further education with your family, career and free time in the best possible way.
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

The higher professional examination for electrical installation and safety experts is held annually if at least 10 candidates meet the admission requirements (otherwise every two years). Candidates can take the examination in one of the three official languages German, French or Italian.

The federal examination consists of a total of five parts, which proceed as follows:

1)Diploma thesis

1.1)Documentation: prepared in advance, in writing

Candidates write an individual diploma thesis in which they demonstrate that they can independently develop and describe a solution concept from the field of installation and security in a practice-oriented manner and implement it immediately in the company. The dissertation must meet the requirements in terms of scope, structure and content.

1.2)Presentation and technical discussion: 80 minutes, oral

The candidates present their diploma thesis to the examiners and explain it in a technical discussion.

2.Case study (with technical discussion)60 minutes work preparation, written, 80 minutes technical discussion, oral

The candidates are each given one or more written problem cases, which they must prepare in 60 minutes. They present their solutions in the expert discussion. The experts pay particular attention to problem analysis, possible solutions, technical argumentation and networking skills.

3.Project analysis (with technical discussion)60 minutes preparation, written, 80 minutes technical discussion, oral

In this part of the examination, the candidates receive documents on one or more technical problems, which they have to work on and present and interpret in a technical discussion. The experts test the candidates' argumentation skills as well as their technical and networking skills.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the higher professional examination receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Certified Electrical Installation and Safety Expert".

In French: "Experte en installation et sécurité électrique diplômé / Experte en installation et sécurité électrique diplômée"

In Italian: "Esperto in installazioni e sicurezza elettriche diplomato / Esperta in installazioni e sicurezza elettriche diplomata"

In English: "Lincensed Electrical Installation and Safety Expert, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education"