What does the everyday working life of building technicians with an HF diploma look like?

Building technicians HF (formerly technicians HF building technology) work in companies in the building technology sector, in trading and production companies or in engineering and planning offices. They are specialists in the fields of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and sanitation and plan, design and implement challenging projects.

Among other things, they ensure the smooth operation of building technology systems, such as heating and air conditioning systems, electrical and building automation systems as well as refrigeration and sanitary systems. Here, building technicians HF (formerly technicians HF building technology) are involved in every single step (conceptual work, project planning, planning, construction supervision, commissioning as well as monitoring, control and management of the systems over their entire service life). They take into account physical, economic, social and ecological aspects as well as official regulations and economic considerations.

They are informed about new materials, processes and products and use them in their projects. They also take on project management tasks: as a link between their own company and clients, authorities and other contractors, they advise customers professionally, coordinate and plan the work (staff management) and monitor costs and deadlines.

(Remember: the distribution of tasks can vary greatly depending on the company and job profile)

Target group and skills: Who is the Building Services Engineering degree course for Building Services Technicians HF suitable for?

The building technology course at a higher technical college to become a building technician HF (formerly technician HF building technology) is suitable for

• Young professionals in building services engineering who are looking for a professional career
• People who want to further their education in the field of building technology

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

• Technical understanding
• Sense of responsibility
• Independent, accurate and reliable way of working
• analytical and conceptual skills
• Leadership and social skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to work in a team

Requirements for admission to the Building Technology HF course:

The higher technical colleges (HF) decide independently who is admitted to a building technology course and the admission procedure. For this reason, there may 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*.

In order to be able to start a building technology course to become a building technician HF (formerly technician HF building technology) at a higher technical college (HF), you must generally meet the following admission requirements.

• Completion of relevant basic vocational training with a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) **

Or

• Completion of a 3-year basic vocational training (EFZ) in another field or vocational, technical or high school diploma and relevant professional experience (usually at least 1 year) in the technical field

Further conditions:

• During the part-time HF Building Technology course: at least 50% employment in the technical field.
• Depending on the school: entrance examination or aptitude test and/or attendance of a preliminary course, for example in mathematics.

Note: In some cases, it is possible to have educational achievements already completed credited. Please contact the provider of your choice directly.

* The courses offered by the universities of applied sciences (HF) are based on framework curricula developed jointly by education providers and industry associations and approved by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). If the PET colleges adhere to existing framework curricula in the detailed design of their courses, their PET courses are federally recognized and lead to a protected title.

** A list of the relevant EFZs can be found in theFramework curriculumfor building technicians HF.

Subject matter and content of the training

The learning content taught in a HF Building Technology course is generally based on the "Building Technology HF" framework curriculum.

The sponsors of the framework curriculum are as follows:

• Organization of the world of work (OdA). Swiss-Liechtenstein Building Services Engineering Association (suisstec)
• Representation of the training providers: Conference of Higher Technical Colleges KHF-T

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

Nevertheless, the universities of applied sciences have a certain amount of leeway in the design of their building technology courses. Which course content is ultimately covered and how it is structured or deepened can therefore vary from college to college. The universities of applied sciences can also offer specializations, for example.*

As a rule, the following topics are addressed:

• Building technology
• Thermodynamics
• Heating technology
• Ventilation technology
• Sanitary technology
• Physics
• Communication
• Project management
• Business administration
• Mathematics
• Finance and accounting
• Law

*Training providers, i.e. schools, can use a maximum of 10% of the total learning hours for content-related specializations. The protected title "qualified building technician HF" remains unchanged.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs depend on the provider, the training location and the training model and can therefore vary. In general, the following costs can be expected for the 6-semester Building Technology course:

• Tuition fees:The semester fee depends on the school and your canton of residence. You can expect to pay between CHF 19,800 and CHF 29,100 for students resident in the canton of training*. The costs for the examinations and diploma thesis are usually included in the course fees.
• Additional degrees:for example, language certificates or project management certificates (IPMA) (an overview of IPMA certificates can be found in the answers)
• Other extra costs:Some providers charge extra costs for the registration fee and student ID card, preliminary courses, teaching materials, special software, licenses, laboratory exercises, practicals, training documents, examinations/diploma theses and examination retakes. Find out about the additional costs directly from the HF of your choice.

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

• 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).

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

• Duration of studyThe modular building services engineering course to become a certified building services engineer HF (formerly technician HF building services engineering) takes 4 semesters (full-time) or 6 semesters (part-time)*.
• Number of lessonsThe course comprises 3600 learning hours with a relevant EFZ. For courses without a relevant EFZ, the number of learning hours generally increases to 5400 learning hours; please contact the school of your choice. The professional activity (practice in a relevant occupation) during the part-time HF Building Technology course is credited with a maximum of 720 hours (with a relevant EFZ) or a maximum of 1800 hours (without a relevant EFZ) towards the training period. The practical training (internships in a practice-oriented or real field of work accompanied by specialists) in full-time studies amounts to at least 720 hours (with relevant EFZ) or at least 1800 hours (without relevant EFZ). Learning hours also include contact studies (with qualified supervision), guided self-study, individual self-study and qualification procedures (e.g. semester examinations, intermediate examinations, diploma examinations, diploma theses or assessed semester theses). How these learning hours are divided up in terms of time is defined in the framework curriculum.
• Lesson timesThe part-time or full-time HF Building Technology course is offered at different times. For example, one evening and one full day per week or two to three evenings per week
• Teaching formatMany schools offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning).
• Learning effort: You should allow sufficient time to prepare for and follow up 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.

* At some schools, professionals with a technical vocational baccalaureate can benefit from a shortened course of study. Please contact the school of your choice directly.

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 the opportunity and contact the school of your choice directly.

Degree, diploma and title

The qualification procedure for the building technology training to become a certified building technician HF (formerly technician HF building technology) is generally as follows:

1. The results of the previous semester examinations and/or assessed semester papers (so-called experience grades)
2. Diploma thesis: The diploma thesis is practice-oriented; candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and networked thinking. The thesis is written individually on a topic relevant to building services engineering. It is written at the end of the course (can also be integrated into the 5th or 6th semester). Here too, the time frame is determined by the respective HF in its study regulations.
3. The thesis is also presented to a panel of experts (a group of specialists) and then defended in a discussion.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the course receive an HF diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected professional title "Dipl. Gebäudetechniker HF / dipl. Gebäudetechnikerin HF".

In French: "Technicienne diplômée ES en technique des bâtiments / Technicien diplômé ES en technique des bâtiments"

In Italian: "Tecnica dipl. SSS in tecnica degli edifici / Technico dipl. SSS in tecnica degli edifici"

In English: "Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Building Technology" (note: not a protected title, this is merely a recommendation)