Technical business management assistant (FPE)  (Region Liechtenstein):
2 Provider

Technical business specialists combine technical understanding with business know-how. Continuing education, further training opens up a wide range of career prospects - especially at the interface between technology and management.

Typical skills and tasks of a technical salesperson:

• Broadly trained generalists with a technical background or industrial-technical vocational training
• Coordination and leadership of teams and management of technical or interdisciplinary projects
• Analysis and solution of entrepreneurial issues in a technical-business context
• Versatile use in roles that require economic thinking and technical expertise
• Participation in company management, assumption of management responsibility or support of the management
• Acting in accordance with sustainable principles, taking into account economic, social and ecological aspects

As a technical business administrator, these qualifications enable you to work in a wide range of sectors - especially in the industrial and commercial sectors. Technical business management assistants are in demand when technical processes need to be economically optimized or projects need to be managed efficiently.

Important: The exact content and requirements of the technical business management apprenticeship can vary depending on the school. For binding information, it is worth contacting the desired educational institution directly.

Questions about training? You can simply forward your question to the relevant school using our contact form.

Technical business management assistants with a professional examination have the following jobs:

• Exercise a function as a managerial employee
• Employment possible up to middle management level
• Work in service, commercial, administrative and industrial companies
• in procurement, organization, customer service, marketing or technical sales

Technical merchants perform the following tasks:

• As a manager, takes into account the business context
• take legal and financial aspects into consideration
• organize employee and team management according to the circumstances of the company
• take over qualified tasks of the active specialist area
• mostly responsible for quality assurance and developing new strategies for maintenance
• be an important link between technology and economy
• Ensure the smooth running of the business process
• Ensure internal and external communication with all stakeholder groups

You can become a technical salesperson with specific training:

• Awareness and image
• Skills and perspectives
• 10 advantages
• Wages
• Experience participantsandExperience report from course leaders
• Self-test
• Guide to further training in business administration

Technical understanding and sound commercial and business management knowledge enable technical business management assistants with a federal certificate to analyze and solve complex problems holistically. There are good opportunities for technical business management assistants. In most cases, they perform a lower to middle management function. In many SMEs, a technical business management assistant fills a management position. The strengths of Technical Business Administrators are:

• Understanding customer needs and being able to implement them in business terms
• Industry diversity - because "entrepreneurial knowledge" is needed everywhere
• Generalist knowledge
• Recognized federal qualification as a technical merchant at professional examination level
• can go into self-employment as he has the necessary business know-how

As the results of the survey conducted on behalf of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch among people interested in the Technical Business Management Assistant course show, 47% of them choose schools based on online reviews. 34% of those interested in the Technical Management Assistant course choose to request further school information based on recommendations. 19 %, on the other hand, already know the schools from which they obtain information for this further education course. Several people emphasized that the regional location of the school was also very important in their choice with the free text answers "regionally represented schools", "nearby", "it's easiest as it's not far from home", "proximity to place of work" and "catchment area". Other responses such as "Google", "online advertising", "found out about several providers" and "coincidence" point to the importance of the interactive discoverability of the school and the range of options. Answers such as "full-time offer", "online lessons", "start date", "course times" and "because of my irregular working hours" show that the lesson times offered are also an important criterion in the selection process.

If you would like to switch from the skilled trades to the office, you should also consider the following further training courses as alternatives to the Technical Business Management School:

• Commercial diploma VSH or edupool.ch
• Advanced business diploma
• Business specialist edupool.ch
• Subject-specific qualifications at specialist certificate level in the appropriate field
• Management specialist
• Specialist in SME management
• Catch up on your vocational baccalaureate and study at a university of applied sciences
• Logistician
• Company organizer
• Business Administration Certificate

If you are unsure which is the best further training option, you should spend a certain amount of time researching suitable job advertisements for the required qualifications. However, the following should be noted: The technical salesperson apprenticeship is tailored to tradespeople who want to work in sales and customer service afterwards. This is because they understand customer needs and are able to convert these into commercial orders or offers.

The technical business graduate brings the following to successful graduates:

• Federal certificate - one of the most popular and best-known qualifications
• Employment in a commercial management position within an industrial or commercial enterprise
• perform business management and leadership functions
• Over CHF 434,000 more salary until retirement (after deduction of training expenses)
• Possibility of further training or specialization in business administration

The technical business management assistant apprenticeship is suitable for professionals in technology or trade with an EFZ who wish to acquire the necessary commercial and business management expertise to work in a management position in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or to perform qualified clerical work. In other words, for anyone who wants to move "from the outside" into the office. For people who want to switch from manual jobs to commercial ones. Reasons for such a generalist development would be

• A car mechanic takes over his father's garage / business
• Switch from production / workshop to the office
• Entry into technical sales, technical consulting (construction suppliers, etc.)
• want to become self-employed and now need the business management tools

The commercial school leads to a commercial diploma, a recognized qualification in the field of further education (tertiary level). This qualification forms the basis for all activities in the commercial sector, from clerical work to further training at the highest management levels. The technical business management assistant is a federal certificate of higher vocational education and training - a higher qualification at professional examination level (tertiary level B). The course content is aimed at people with an industrial-technical apprenticeship.

The Swiss Association of Technical Executives Anavant publishes statistical data on professional examinations and pass rates:

• 2022: 68.60 % (723 passed out of 1,054 completed examinations)
• 2021: 66% (732 of 1,110)
• 2020: 69.45% (753 of 1,084)

Unsatisfactory grades in 2022 were only awarded in one subject:

• Corporate management with 3.8

Since 1991, there have been over 13,000 successful candidates for the Technischer Kaufmann examination and it is one of the most widely taken Federal Professional Examinations. However, the difficulty of the Technischer Kaufmann exam should not be underestimated. Candidates have to spend four examination days on the federal examination and CHF 1,800 (3 days written and one day oral). According to statistical data from Anavant, the Swiss Association of Technical Executives, the average pass rate for the technical salesperson exam over the last five years is around 67.4 %. This means that a good two thirds of participants pass the Federal Professional Examination.

This means that the Technical Business Administrator failure rate over the last five years is over 33% - just under a third. In 2018, the pass rate for all federal vocational diplomas was just under 65% - so the difficulty level of the technical salesperson should not be disregarded. The degree of difficulty of the Technical Business Administrator is therefore slightly above the average for all Federal Professional Examinations - those in the fields of journalism, transportation, horticulture, nursing, therapy, rehabilitation, electricity and energy are more difficult. The challenges in avoiding this technical salesperson failure rate certainly lie in the breadth of knowledge required and the new activity in the working environment. The latter requires computer skills, new ways of thinking and knowledge of economic relationships. Thanks to a subsidy from the federal government, participants receive up to 50% of their training costs back after passing the exam (regardless of the outcome). However, those who do not pass the Technical Business Management Assistant exam can retake it.

After successfully graduating as a technical business management assistant, there are several options open to you to further your professional development and advance your career in a targeted manner:

• Certified business economist CHE
  The degree in Business Administration CHE at a College of Higher Education deepens business knowledge and prepares students specifically for management tasks. A shortened entry into the 3rd semester is usually possible with a degree in technical business management.
• Postgraduate studies in Higher Education (CHE) in General Management
  Anyone who has already completed higher specialist training and would like to acquire further management skills can complete postgraduate studies in Higher Education. This leads to in-depth business management expertise and strategic management skills.
• Sales manager with federal diploma
  The Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for sales managers with a federal diploma is a sought-after continuing education, further training course for a specialized career in sales. It is aimed at people who wish to take on management functions in sales.

These continuing education, further training courses after technical business management training offer the opportunity to build up targeted knowledge and qualify for demanding specialist and management tasks. They differ in terms of target group, structure and entry requirements.

Important: Each school can individually determine admission to continuing education, further training after the technical business management training. The exact possibility of continuing education, further training should be clarified directly with the desired school. Simply ask the school directly - our contact form will forward your request in a straightforward manner.

According to a recent survey of those interested in the Tech. Kaufmann course revealed different learning preferences. The respondents mainly categorize themselves into four learning types, which clearly differ in their approach to the learning material:

• 34 % Visual learner: learns best by seeing - for example with graphics, charts, videos or visual summaries.
• 33 % Motor learning type: prefers practical action and internalizes knowledge through "learning by doing".
• 25 % Communicative learner type: learns particularly well in exchange with others, for example through discussions, learning groups or joint explanations.
• 8 % Auditory learner: absorbs information most effectively by listening, e.g. through audio content, active listening or loud repetition.

These results for the Tech. Kaufmann course show that there is no standardized learning path - everyone processes knowledge in their own way. For participants in the Technical Business Management Assistant course, it is worth knowing your own learning style and tailoring learning methods to it. A combination of different approaches is particularly effective for deepening understanding and optimally preparing for examinations.

The TK - Technical Clerk - is a Federal Professional Examination and leads to a federal certificate. It is aimed at professionals with a technical, commercial or manual basic training who want to take on new tasks in the company. In other words, people who want to switch from the workshop to the office.

The "Technician CHE" course is a course of study at a College of Higher Education and leads to a CHE diploma. It is available in various specializations: Construction planning, electrical engineering, IT, business processes, systems engineering, etc.

The technical businessman is right for me if I fulfill the following requirements:

• have an interest in office work and an entrepreneurial mindset
• Outgoing with organizational talent
• have already completed basic technical or craft training
• Willingness to take on a management function or independence
• Pre-financing of course fees in the amount of approx. CHF 15,000
• Willingness to invest in one to two years of teaching (800 lessons) and self-study (990 hours)

Technical business management assistant There are good opportunities to follow on from this. As a technical business management assistant with a federal certificate and proof of at least 3 years in a management position, you have the opportunity to take the higher specialist examination for federally certified managing directors. The "Anavant" sponsoring association also conducts the higher professional examination as further training for technical business management.

Furthermore, holders of the Technical Business Management Specialist certificate are admitted to various other federal professional examinations, higher professional examinations (e.g. sales manager), postgraduate studies (e.g. in marketing) or studies at higher technical colleges (in business administration such as HF Business Administration, HF Business Processes, NDS HF Business Administration or NDS HF Leadership), provided that the specific admission criteria of the desired course of study can be met. This means that there are numerous options for continuing education after the Technical Business Administration degree.

When we look at classic careers after training as a technical business management assistant, we often focus on the management of a craft business. The classic example is the car mechanic who takes over his father's business (garage) and develops it into a larger company by later expanding it into several garage locations. Other classic positions are those at the interface between technology and business management. For example, a carpenter who wants to manage the sale of tools in the timber industry and develops into a member of the management team. Similar examples are known of metalworkers who become group leaders and then take over the management of sales and customer service and later even become managing directors. A bricklayer first takes care of purchasing materials, then becomes a division manager and finally the owner and proprietor of a painting business.

The technical business management assistant continuing education, further training provides practical knowledge in central business management areas. Technical business management assistant subjects - the following are typical components of the course:

• Supply chain management - basics of procurement, logistics and production planning
• Marketing and sales - strategies for market development and sales promotion
• Personnel management - employee management, personnel development and labor law
• Financial management - budgeting, cost accounting and investment planning
• Corporate management - organization, strategy and management of companies
• Legal studies - Relevant legal principles in an economic context
• Economics - macroeconomic relationships and markets
• Problem-solving and decision-making methodology - Analytical tools for decision-making
• Presentation and communication - rhetoric, presentation techniques and conversation skills

The technical business management assistant subjects provide a sound generalist knowledge that combines technical skills with business management know-how. The continuing education, further training prepares students specifically for demanding tasks in management, planning and organization.

Important: The specific choice of subjects and their content may vary slightly depending on the school for technical business management assistant continuing education, further training. It is advisable to enquire directly with the desired school. Use our contact form to forward your question directly to the right school - quickly, easily and bindingly.

When training to become a technical business management assistant (technical business management assistant), there are now various forms of training to choose from. More and more people interested in training are attaching importance to flexibility and the opportunity to better combine learning and work. A recent survey on a Swiss education platform shows which form of teaching is currently the most popular:

• 32% would like face-to-face teaching at local schools in order to benefit directly from personal exchanges with lecturers and fellow students.
• 26% prefer hybrid lessons, where participants can choose to take part in lessons on site or online.
• 25% want purely online lessons in which all learners are connected virtually.
• 17% have no preference regarding the form of teaching.

The trend is clearly moving towards flexible learning models. Regardless of which form of teaching you choose, each variant prepares you professionally and practically for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Technical Business Administration.

A survey of interested parties and participants in the technical business management apprenticeship with a federal certificate clearly shows which information about lecturers is considered particularly relevant. Transparent and practical information helps learners to better adapt to the lessons and build trust in the teaching staff. The respondents indicated the following preferences (multiple answers were possible):

• 61% would like information on the subjects taught in order to know in which subject areas the lecturers teach.
• 58% attach importance to the teaching methodology, i.e. the way in which lessons are organized and knowledge is imparted.
• 53% are interested in the professional experience of the lecturers in order to be able to assess the practical relevance of the training.
• 49% would like to know more about the lecturers' current activities and function in the company.
• 44 % pay attention to the training and continuing education, further training of teachers in order to assess their professional qualifications.
• 31% appreciate a video with a teaching sequence so that they can experience the teaching style directly.
• 28% find a current portrait picture helpful to gain a personal impression.
• 22% would like to see a video introducing the lecturer in order to get to know their personality and motivation.
• 20% are interested in personal evaluations by former participants.
• 16% would like to know more about previous successes, such as projects or publications.
• 7% find a link to social media profiles (e.g. LinkedIn, Xing) useful.
• 6 % are also interested in the lecturer's hobbies in order to obtain a sympathetic, personal connection.

These results about lecturers in the training program for technical business management assistants with a federal certificate show: Authenticity, experience and transparency are particularly important for prospective technical business management assistants. Those who specifically address these information needs as training providers or lecturers create trust, motivation and a stronger bond with the learners.

A technical business management assistant takes on demanding specialist and management tasks at the interface between technology and business management. They are the central link between production, technology, logistics, purchasing, sales and management. Their aim is to manage technical processes economically and efficiently.

Typical tasks of a technical business management assistant:

• Interface between technology & business administration
  • Translate technical requirements into commercial decisions (and vice versa)
  • Mediating between engineers, technicians and commercial departments
• Planning and organization
  • Production planning, materials management, logistics control
  • Coordinate and optimize work processes
  • Scheduling and capacity planning
• Cost, quality and resource management
  • Calculation of production costs and quotations
  • Ensuring efficient use of resources (materials, personnel, machines)
  • Control and compliance with budgets, quality standards and safety requirements
• Leadership and project management
  • Management of teams, departments or projects
  • Responsibility for project coordination and target achievement
  • Management of technical employees with a business focus
• Communication & coordination
  • Contact person for customers, suppliers and internal departments
  • Negotiations in the purchase or sale of technical products
  • Preparation of technical offers and project reports

Technical business people work in many sectors, e.g:

• Mechanical engineering / plant engineering
• Electrical engineering / electronics
• Construction / Building technology
• Medical technology
• Energy and environmental technology
• Logistics & Production
• Trade in technical products

Possible functions and roles:

• Project manager
• Production planner
• Technical buyer
• Operations manager
• Department or team leader
• Specialist for quality, safety, environment (QSE)
• Sales engineer with a business management focus

A technical business administrator is more than just a "businessperson with technical knowledge" - they are bridge builders, optimizers and often also leaders in the company. They ensure that technical processes are implemented in an economically viable, efficient and high-quality manner - and are therefore in high demand in industry, technology and business.

According to a survey conducted by Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch among those interested in the Technical Business Management Assistant course, 61% of respondents would still like to check whether the Technical Business Management Assistant course is really the right one for them. 28 % enquire about this technical business management assistant course on the education platform Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch because it was recommended to them. Only 11% of those surveyed are interested in the further training course for technical business management assistants with a professional examination because this title is required in job advertisements. In our experience, this further training is usually chosen by professionals who want to expand their technical or manual skills with business management expertise. This is so that they can then act as a link between craftsmanship or technology and management. This was also confirmed by survey participants with the free text answers "Love technology, have a lot of practical experience", "Preparation for taking over a business", "Supplement to craft profession" and "In addition to working in the workshop as a motorcycle mechanic and suspension specialist, I also want to work in the office a little and become self-employed". In general, however, further training is also always for personal development, as other participants told us with statements such as "For my further development", "Because I want to do this course", "I want to continue my education", "Management position", "Retraining", "Earning money", "Looking for information about further training opportunities for future employees", "I would like to see the content of the modules", "to expand my knowledge and improve my chances on the job market", "versatile, recommended, good prospects", "a good opportunity to gain a commercial qualification" and "I am underchallenged in my current job and am looking for a new challenge" also confirmed.

The further training course in technical business management with a federal certificate is very well recognized on the job market and, with the federal certificate, enables employment in many industries and different areas of different technical business management jobs. The advantage is an all-encompassing, holistic further education that complements technical specialists with business knowledge. This means that technical clerks are generalists with specialist technical or trade knowledge.

Employment opportunities / Technical sales representative jobs:

• Technical clerk (hub function for technology)
• Internal sales clerk
• Technical salesperson
• Technical advisor
• Sales in a technical environment
• Processing in the QM area
• Purchaser
• Responsible for materials management
• Project employee IT / Organization
• Customer service manager
• Operations manager of small and medium-sized technical enterprises

The salary of a technical salesperson in Switzerland varies greatly depending on professional experience, industry, region, function and company size.

Technical salespeople earn on average (as of 2025):

• 25-29 years: CHF 6,500 - 7,500 (gross monthly) or CHF 84,500 - 97,500 (annually)
• 30-39 years: CHF 7,500 - 8,800 (gross monthly) or CHF 97,500 - 114,400 (annually)
• 40-49 years: CHF 8,800 - 9,800 (gross monthly) or CHF 114,400 - 127,400 (annually)
• 50+ years: CHF 9,800 - 10,500+ (gross monthly) or CHF 127,400 - 136,500 (annually)

This means average:

• Average monthly salary (total): CHF 7'800 - 8'500
• Annual gross salary (total): approx. CHF 100,000 - 110,000

These values are based on various salary portals such as Salarium (Federal Statistical Office), lohnanalyse.ch, Glassdoor, kununu and current market observations. For an individual salary estimate, we recommend the official, free federal salary calculatorSalarium.There you can enter your profession, place of work, age, education and other factors - and receive a realistic, statistically based salary range.

Required when taking the exam:

• Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET Diploma) or an equivalent qualification and 3 years of professional experience in the technical field after completing training

or

• Federal Certificate of Vocational Education and Training (Federal VET Certificate) and 5 years of professional experience

To be on the safe side, check with your school again before you start your training whether you meet all the requirements.