What does the day-to-day work of a janitor with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education look like?

A janitor with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education is responsible for the cleaning, maintenance and upkeep of a wide range of properties. This includes the operation and maintenance of building technology, environmental work, customer contact and employee management. In this way, they make an important contribution to maintaining the value of the property and ensuring its safe and trouble-free operation. The tasks of janitors are

• Building cleaning and compliance with hygiene regulations
• Care and maintenance of outdoor facilities and green spaces (incl. maintenance of equipment, use of fertilizers and pesticides)
• Maintenance and servicing of technical building systems (heating, hot water, ventilation, air conditioning and water treatment systems)
• Building maintenance (electrical and sanitary components, control and regulation technology)
• Repairs to buildings, machinery, furniture and equipment
• Operating and monitoring building management systems, locking and security systems
• Occupational and operational safety
• Environmental protection and energy saving
• Proper disposal of waste
• Management and instruction of employees
• Training and supervision of apprentices
• Contact for tenants, users, customers, owners, management, tradesmen and cleaning staff (including apartment handovers and handover reports)
• For more extensive maintenance tasks or repairs, the janitor commissions external service providers (incl. budgeting and budget control)

Usual employment conditions as a janitor:

• Employment as a management and technical specialist:
  • in the private sector with building operators, in utility companies or in technical facility management
  • with municipality
  • with the canton
  • self-employment
• Janitors are responsible for properties such as
  • Residential properties
  • Commercial properties
  • Industrial buildings
  • Public buildings
  • Large buildings such as shopping centers, hospitals, schools and sports facilities
• Mostly irregular working hours including on-call duty at night and on weekends
• Partial office work in home office possible
• Janitor is responsible for the property entrusted to him/her, including the organization of the professional removal and supply system as well as aspects of quality and economy
• Plan, coordinate and monitor the deployment of apprentices, employees and external service providers
• Technical understanding and knowledge of building technology, important contract types, commercial accounting and administration are required
• With a Federal Diploma of Higher Education, more responsibility, takeover of management tasks and more attractive remuneration possible

Do the activities described meet your expectations? Would you like to work as a janitor with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education?

The janitor training course is aimed at people who already work as a janitor and want to continue their training, as well as people with a recognized basic technical qualification who want to retrain as a janitor. The Federal Professional Examination is a federally recognized qualification.

Important qualities for this profession are

• High degree of independence and reliability
• Responsible and quality-conscious
• Discretion and communication skills
• Flexibility and resilience
• Assertiveness and organizational talent
• Technical understanding
• Are able to approach people

Requirements for admission to the Federal Diploma of Higher Education (FPE):

In order to be able to register for the Federal Professional Examination for Caretakers, you must, in accordance with the examination regulations:

• have at least 2 years of professional experience as a caretaker/janitor in a workload of 80%

The following qualifications are required at the start of the examination:

• ECDL Certificate European Computer Driving License Base
• Course certificate as a vocational trainer in training companies
• Specialist authorization for the use of plant protection products in special areas
• Emergency aid certificate as described in the guidelines
• BLS-AED-SRC card complete

The decision on admission to the examination is communicated to the applicant in writing at least three months before the start of the examination. A negative decision contains a statement of reasons and information on legal remedies.

Note: The qualifications can be completed before or during the janitor course. Many janitor schools also offer courses in this area.

Subject matter and content of the janitor continuing education, further training

The subject matter and content of the preparatory courses for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Caretaking are based on the requirements of the responsible body of the Federal Diploma of Higher Education, theFederal Professional Examination Secretariat Caretaker. The following organizations from the world of work form the responsible body:

• Allpura - Association of Swiss Cleaning Companies
• BAH - Professional Association of Trained Caretakers
• CURAVIVA.CH - Swiss Association of Homes and Institutions
• SFH - Swiss Professional Association of Caretakers
• SKO Swiss Cadre Organization
• suissetec - Swiss-Liechtenstein Building Technology Association
• UNIA - The trade union
• VPOD - Swiss Association of Public Service Employees

The subject matter of the janitor continuing education, further training includes the following topics:

• Management and administration
• Building maintenance
• Building services
• Cleaning technology
• Environmental and gardening work
• Environmental protection, energy saving

Costs and financing of continuing education, further training:

The costs of continuing education, further training for janitors vary slightly depending on the provider and the duration of the course. On average, the following costs can be expected for a four-semester part-time course:

• Course fees:between CHF 6'000.- and CHF 12'000.-
  You will receive around 50% of this back from the federal government on application after the examination (regardless of the result)*.
• Examination fees:CHF 2,200 (as at: 2023)
  The janitor examination fee is set by the responsible body for the Federal Professional Examination. It is paid by the candidate after admission has been confirmed.
• Extra costs:At some janitor schools, the costs for teaching materials, training documents, fees, additional courses, external certificates (ECDL, vocational trainer, etc.) and simulation exams, for example, are not included in the course fees. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect for continuing education, further training as a janitor.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for Federal Professional Examinations have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort:

• The janitor apprenticeship lasts around 2 to 2.5 years and is classically structured.
• Lesson times vary depending on the provider and comprise around 500 lessons. As a rule, the 6 to 8 lessons per week take place one afternoon and evening per week, one morning, two evenings, one evening only, one weekday or on Saturdays.
• Many schools now offer a mix of classroom and online courses (online, hybrid lessons, blended learning) and self-study for janitor training.
• Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of continuing education, further training, you can apply and deepen your knowledge immediately in practice. 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. As a precaution, we recommend that you allow at least 4 to 8 hours per week. Additional hours should be set aside for the additional janitor training courses: for the specialist plant protection license (approx. 4 hours), obtaining the emergency helper certificate (approx. 16 hours) and the internal school diploma examination (approx. 10 hours).

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and learning atmosphere. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly.

Degree, diploma and title "Caretaker with Federal Diploma of Higher Education":

The Federal Professional Examination for janitors with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education takes place annually, provided there are at least 25 candidates. It is guaranteed to be held at least every two years. It can be held in the three official languages German, French or Italian.
Candidates for the Federal Professional Examination in Caretaking will be called at least three weeks before the start of the examination.

The Federal Professional Examination for the janitor qualification consists of six parts:

1. Cleaning (written and practical, 60 minutes each)
   • Written preparation of practice-relevant problem situations from the competence area of caretaking from the competence area of cleaning - recognize situations, draw conclusions and propose measures based on a given practice-related initial situation
   • carrying out practical activities or solving problems in the field of cleaning - carrying out work professionally, dealing with or rectifying faults or commenting on activities verbally
2. Building maintenance (written and practical, 60 minutes each)
   • Written preparation of practically relevant problem situations from the competence area of caretaking from the competence area of building maintenance - recognize situations, draw conclusions and propose measures based on a given practical situation
   • carrying out practical activities or solving problems in the area of building maintenance as a janitor - carrying out work professionally, dealing with or rectifying faults or commenting on activities verbally
3. Building services engineering (written and practical, 60 minutes each)
   • Written preparation of practically relevant problem situations from the competence area of caretaking from the competence area of building services engineering - recognize situations based on a given practical situation, draw conclusions and propose measures as a janitor
   • carrying out practical activities or solving problems in the field of building services engineering - carrying out work professionally, dealing with or rectifying faults or commenting on activities verbally
4. Sports, outdoor and green areas (written and practical, 60 minutes each)
   • Written preparation of practice-relevant problem situations from the competence area of caretaking from the competence area of sports, outdoor and green facilities - recognize situations, draw conclusions and propose measures based on a given practice-related initial situation
   • carrying out practical tasks as a janitor or solving problems in the field of sports, outdoor and green areas - carrying out work professionally, dealing with or rectifying faults or commenting on activities verbally
5. Administration and employee management (written, 120 minutes and oral, 45 minutes)
   • Written test of understanding and knowledge in the areas of law, accounting and employee management based on practical situations
   • Oral examination discussion based on given, practice-related initial situations, reacting appropriately to the situation and developing and demonstrating proposed solutions
6. Networking and communication (prepared in advance - oral, 30 minutes)
   Recognize connections between different specialist areas and communication skills as a janitor - Presentation and examination discussion of the submitted, independently prepared written work

Diploma and title "Caretaker"

Graduates of the Federal Professional Examination receive a Federal Diploma of Higher Education and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Caretaker with Federal Diploma of Higher Education" or "Caretaker with Federal Diploma of Higher Education".

• In French: "Concierge avec brevet fédéral"
• In Italian: "Custode con attestato professionale federale"

In English (translation/recommendation, not a protected title): Building Custodian, Federal Diploma of Higher Education