Self-test: Is the "Metal Construction Designer with Federal Diploma of Higher Education" course the right one for me?

What do the activities in a metal construction designer job look like?

A metal construction designer works in the technical office of a metal construction, steel construction and façade construction company. This involves calculating and drawing up quotations and coordinating the various work steps. Metal construction designers are able to lead a team and supervise assembly. This includes supporting employees, instructing apprentices and supervising work. The focus is on the construction of metal and steel structures such as doors and gates, stairs and railings, windows, all-glass systems, canopies, facades and conservatories as well as customer contact and care.

The following activities are common in a metal construction designer job:

• Tasks in the personnel area:
  • Training of apprentices in the metal construction industry
  • Instructions to clerks in the technical office and to metal construction draughtsmen
  • Responsible for the employees reporting to him
  • Responsibility for the execution of orders
  • Processing of assigned orders, allocation of work to subordinate employees according to their performance capabilities in order to ensure the best possible work processes
  • Developing and implementing economic solutions
  • Scheduling and coordination of ongoing orders in the technical office
  • Constructive and drawing project support
  • Responsible for order preparation
  • Order-related material procurement
  • Handing over orders to the workshop and assembly manager
  • Implementation of scheduling, organizational and technical specifications for the line, material procurement - workshop - assembly
  • Constructive support and monitoring of order execution
  • Cost calculation and monitoring

• Business management tasks:
  • Responsible for the equipment in the technical office
  • Preparation of simple quotations and assistance with quotations for larger projects
  • Monitoring materials management
  • Control of working and production times
  • Proposals for rationalization measures
  • Dealing with customers and suppliers

Target group and skills: Who is the Metal Construction Designer apprenticeship with Federal Professional Examination suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The Metal Construction Designer training course with subsequent Federal Professional Examination is aimed at the following people from the metal construction sector who wish to take on organizational tasks, including managing, developing and motivating employees and passing on their knowledge to apprentices:

• Metal construction designer
• Metal construction draughtsman
• Steel construction draftsman

The following skills and characteristics are required for a successful job as a metal construction designer:

• Leadership qualities, communication skills
• Interest in geometry, knowledge of mathematics
• Interest in technical drawing and planning
• Spatial imagination, logical thinking, sense of abstract relationships
• Technical understanding, interest in construction technology
• Sense of responsibility
• Reliability and organizational skills
• Precise working methods, patience, perseverance
• Interest in metalworking
• Ability to work in a team, sense of form

Requirements for admission to the Federal Professional Examination in Metal Construction:

The following prerequisites are required for admission to the final Federal Professional Examination for Metal Construction Designers:

• a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET Diploma) as a metal construction designer or in a related profession and
• At least 3 years of professional experience in metal construction after completion of vocational education and training (VET)

and

• Vocational trainer course and
• Required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence

The following module completions must be demonstrated for admission to the federal examination and the award of the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Metal Construction:

• Marketing + Acquisition 1
• Calculation 1
• Materials Technology & Process Engineering 1
• Building physics 1
• Design III Metal construction
• Construction IV Facade construction or Construction V Steel construction
• Personnel management 1
• Project management 1

The individual modules are completed as compulsory modules in the preparatory courses for the Federal Professional Examination. The module certificates are valid for 6 years. You will find out whether you meet the requirements for the Federal Professional Examination for Metal Construction Designers at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification - including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of rejection.

Subject matter and content of the continuing education, further training metal design engineer:

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Metal Construction is based on the requirements of the responsible body for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education, theAM Suisse(umbrella organization for the metal construction, agricultural engineering and farriery sectors (formerly Swiss Metal Union).

The learning content of the continuing education, further training as a metal construction designer is divided into the following topics and areas of competence:

• Marketing and acquisition
  • Fundamentals of general business administration
  • Marketing basics
  • Marketing tools
  • Customer care and customer loyalty
• Calculation
  • Basics of the calculation structure
  • Cost types
  • Calculation and offer
  • Directing work
  • Procurement bases
  • Revenue reduction
• Materials technology and process engineering
  • Fundamentals of materials technology
  • Mathematics / technical calculations
  • Steel materials
  • Stainless steel
  • Aluminum
  • Casting materials and processes
  • Plastics / composites
  • Glass
  • Connection techniques
  • Assembly
  • Insulating and sealing materials
  • Fire protection
• Building physics
  • Basics of thermal insulation
  • Basics of moisture protection
  • Sound insulation basics
• Construction: Metal construction / steel construction work
  • Designing and planning sophisticated metal construction work / steel construction work
• Construction: Facade construction
  • Requirements for the façade
  • Facade types / types
  • Assembly and fastening technology
  • Structure and individual parts of a façade
  • Test procedure
  • Maintenance and upkeep
  • Facade renovations
• Construction: Steel construction
  • Steel construction standards
  • Project and quality management in steel construction
  • Load-bearing structure elements
  • Steel - concrete composite
  • Connection techniques
  • Fire protection in steel construction
  • Calculation & Sales
  • Construction
  • Fabrication
  • Surface protection
  • Assembly
  • Industrial construction
• Personnel management as a metal construction designer
  • Understanding personnel administration
  • Understanding staff remuneration
  • Understanding social insurance
  • Knowledge of the apprenticeship system (excl. master teacher course)
  • Knowledge of personnel management
• Project management
  • Basic concepts of project management
  • Project initialization
  • Project goals
  • Phase models
  • Project organization
  • Structure plan, procedure list and schedule
  • Resource plan, resource plan and cost plan
  • Standards, guidelines and contracts
  • Quality assurance and quality management

Metal construction course - costs and financing:

Depending on the provider and duration, the costs for continuing, further training as a metal construction designer vary. On average, the following amounts are to be expected for the training costs:

• Course fees:approx. CHF 8,420 to CHF 19,880 (incl. module examinations)
  After taking the exam, you will receive around 50% of this amount back from the Confederation on request (regardless of the result).* Participants from companies that are subject to the L-GAV (National Collective Employment Agreement) and have paid contributions towards implementation costs and further training will be reimbursed 20% of the course fees (excluding VAT and excluding contributions towards materials, teaching aids, accommodation and meals). Employers who are AM Suisse members or employees of these companies are entitled to a lump-sum reimbursement as a further training subsidy.
• Examination fees:CHF 1800 (as at August 2025)
  The examination fee is set by the body responsible for the Federal Professional Examination. It is paid by the candidate after confirmation of admission to the metal construction designer examination.
• Extra costs:At some schools, the costs for enrolment fees, teaching materials, training documents, books, intensive exam training, simulation exams, school diplomas and interim qualifications, 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 the course.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for Federal Professional Examination such as continuing education, further training as a metal construction designer 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 cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also pre-financed in exceptional cases.

Duration of study, number of teaching hours, teaching times and learning effort for continuing education, further training in metal construction:

• Duration of study:The training, continuing education, further training in metal construction design is modular in structure (i.e. some of the skills are assessed in module examinations before the Federal Professional Examination and are only tested across modules at the final examination) and lasts three to five semesters or two semesters full-time.
• Number of lessons:The training for the Federal Professional Examination for Metal Construction Designers comprises around 480 lessons.
• Lesson times:The teaching times vary depending on the provider of the continuing education, further training in metal construction design. Classroom teaching takes place three days a week, one evening and half-day on Saturdays or one evening and full-day on Saturdays.
• Learning effort: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 lesson preparation and follow-up as well as for self-study. Depending on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed, we recommend that you allow the same amount of time for the additional workload as for the regular course duration.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. A suitable learning environment is important on the way to successful completion after continuing education, further training in metal construction.

Degree, diploma and title:

The Federal Professional Examination "Metal Construction Designer with Federal Diploma of Higher Education" takes place annually, provided that the minimum number of 12 candidates meet the admission requirements, otherwise every two years. It can be held in the three official languages German, French and Italian.

Candidates for the Federal Professional Examination for Metal Construction Designers are notified at least three weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The Federal Professional Examination for Metal Construction Designers comprises the following three parts:

1. Practical work (practical, 12 to 15 hours, double weighting)
   • The examination task can be divided into independent subtasks. Candidates prepare the production documents according to a template, description or oral information.
   • The learning objectives of the Building Physics I and Design III modules form the basis for the cross-module examination paper.
2. Technology (oral, 2 hours, 1 weighting)
   • The assignment comprises a networked example from the metal construction industry. The focal points are formed from the topics of the modules Materials Technology and Process Engineering I and Building Physics I. The contents of the other modules are taken into account as appropriate depending on the task.
3. Market / People / Company (oral, approx. 1 hour, 1-fold weighting)
   • The task includes a networked example from the metal construction industry.
   • The focal points are formed from the topics of the modules Marketing and Acquisition I, Calculation I, Personnel Management I and Project Management I. The contents of the other modules are taken into account as appropriate depending on the task.
   • In the oral examinations, candidates are examined individually.
   • A technical interview is to take place in which the candidate is assessed on his/her skills as a metal construction designer.
      

Diploma and title

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

• In French: "Projecteur constructeur sur métal avec brevet fédéral", "Projecteuse constructrice sur métal avec brevet fédéral"
• In Italian: "Disegnatore metalconstruttore con attestato professionale federale", "Disegnatorice metalconstruttrice con attestato professionale federale"
• In English: "Designer in Mental Construction with Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)