Occupational Summary
An apprentice on the Level 3 Engineering maintenance technician apprenticeship works as a Control and instrumentation craftsperson, Control and instrumentation maintenance technician, Electrical craftsperson, Electrical maintenance technician, Mechanical craftsperson, Mechanical maintenance technician, Maintenance technician, Engineering technician or similar. They maintain, fault-find and repair plant, equipment and systems across sectors such as energy, manufacturing, processing, utilities and leisure. Daily duties include planned and preventative maintenance, reactive breakdown response, preparing and accepting jobs, completing work safely to required standards, closing jobs and keeping work records. They contribute to continuous improvement, consider cost and service level agreements, comply with health, safety and environmental regulations, and interact with engineers, managers, operations staff, auditors and customers, working alone or in teams as required.
The programme contains 142 knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs), is typically 42 months in duration and has a maximum funding band of £27,000. It is a core-and-option apprenticeship requiring training and assessment against the core and one option (electrical, control and instrumentation, or mechanical). End-point assessment is by observation with questions, an interview underpinned by a portfolio of evidence, and a multiple-choice test.
View official Skills England source text
Engineering maintenance technicians work in a range of industries that use plant, equipment and systems. This includes energy, leisure entertainment, manufacturing, processing, and utilities companies. The working environments vary across the industries. This is a core and options apprenticeship. An apprentice must be trained and assessed against the core and one option. The options are: electrical engineering maintenance technician control and instrumentation engineering maintenance technician mechanical engineering maintenance technician Electrical engineering maintenance technicians' work focuses on electrical aspects of plant, equipment and systems. For example, motors, single-phase and three-phase, power supplies, and low voltage or high-voltage electrical distribution. Control and instrumentation engineering maintenance technicians' work focuses on the control and instrumentation aspects of plant, equipment and systems. For example, programmable logic controllers, flow meters, heat exchangers and safety controls. Mechanical engineering maintenance technicians' work focuses on mechanical aspects of plant, equipment and systems. For example, actuators, fans, pumps, valves, gearboxes, and pipework. Engineering maintenance technicians maintain plant, equipment and systems to optimise operation. They conduct planned and preventative maintenance to prevent issues occurring and reactive maintenance when problems occur. For example, responding to breakdowns. They must prepare for and accept jobs, complete work safely to required standards, close the job, and complete work records. They also contribute to continuous improvement activities. They may complete work as part of a team or alone, depending on the task. Daily, they interact with other maintenance technicians, engineers, and support operatives. They also have contact with other internal and external stakeholders. This may include operations, managers, quality, research and development, and admin staff. They may also have contact with auditors, regulators, and customers undertaking site visits. They typically report to an experienced maintenance engineer. They must maintain the safe and reliable operation of plant, equipment and systems. Work must comply with any industry specific regulations. Safety is a key priority. They must comply with health, safety, and environmental regulations and procedures, and sustainability practices. They must complete tasks in line with their company’s procedures and timescales. They must also take account of wider business considerations such as cost and service level agreements.
What's in the Delivery Pack?
Every section is tailored specifically to the ST1426 standard, using official KSB data, the published assessment plan, and sector-specific context.
KSB Interpretations
Plain-English interpretation of every Knowledge, Skill and Behaviour
EPA Preparation
End-point assessment readiness, gateway checklist and method guidance
Delivery Risks
Occupation-specific risks, mitigations and early warning signs
Delivery Model Options
Model-selection guide comparing day release, block release and front-loaded approaches
On/Off-the-Job Mapping
Which KSBs are best taught by the provider vs developed in the workplace
Initial Assessment & RPL
Starting points, prior learning recognition and programme adaptation
English, Maths & Digital
Where functional skills embed naturally and standalone qualification guidance
Employer Engagement Guide
Employer commitments, progress reviews and workplace engagement guidance
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Qualifications & Recognition
Professional Recognition
English & Maths
English and maths qualifications must be completed in line with the apprenticeship funding rules .
Typical Job Titles
Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours
Knowledge
73- K1: Sectors in which engineering maintenance takes place. Impact of sector on maintenance activities.
- K2: Maintenance disciplines and functional areas and how they work together.
- K3: Individual maintenance technician's roles and responsibilities. Escalation procedures.
- K4: Business operation considerations: quality, cost, delivery, and ethical practices.
- K5: Planning, prioritisation, organisation, and time management techniques.
- + 68 more items
Skills
64- S1: Review and use information. For example, work instructions, drawings, design specifications, and plant configurations.
- S2: Use planning, prioritising, organising, and time management techniques to plan tasks.
- S3: Identify and organise resources to complete tasks. For example, consumables.
- S4: Respond and adapt to work demands. For example, adapt working methods to reflect changes in working environment, re-prio...
- S5: Identify equipment to work on. Check plant configuration is as defined.
- + 59 more items
Behaviours
5- B1: Prioritise safe working practices. For example, risk aware, minimise risks, and proactively work towards preventing acc...
- B2: Consider sustainability when using resources and carrying out tasks.
- B3: Take ownership for the delivery and quality of own work. For example, self-motivated, disciplined in the approach to wor...
- B4: Team-focus to meet work goals and support inclusivity. For example, support others, show respect to others, and create a...
- B5: Committed to continued professional development to maintain and enhance competence.
Duties (24)
Maintain and promote work site health, safety, and environmental compliance. For example, conduct risk assessments and follow emergency procedures.
Liaise with stakeholders on maintenance work. For example, pre-job briefings, to plan work, to co-ordinate work with other maintenance disciplines, and to provide technical and regulatory advice.
Prepare for engineering maintenance work. For example, organise resources, obtain supplies of consumables, and order parts.
Review job requirements and accept. For example, accept safe system of work or permit to work.
Ensure work meets regulatory, industry, and company quality standards.
Conduct post job close out. For example, sign-off job, handover engineering plant and equipment.
Complete engineering maintenance records to company requirements. For example, job reports, stock control records, and fault-finding reports.
Contribute to improvement activities. For example, support alternative ways of working to improve safety, reliability, sustainability, reduce cost, or drive efficiency. Complete continued professional development.
Electrical. Conduct planned, preventative, and reactive maintenance on electrical aspects of plant, equipment, and systems.
Electrical. Conduct fault diagnosis and problem solving on electrical plant, equipment, and systems.
Electrical. Remove and replace electrical plant, equipment, and systems.
Electrical. Conduct inspection, examination, and testing of electrical plant, equipment, and systems.
Electrical. Ensure availability and performance of electrical maintenance tools and equipment.
Control and instrumentation. Conduct planned, preventative, and reactive maintenance on control and instrumentation aspects of plant, control and instrumentation equipment, and control systems including calibration.
Control and instrumentation. Conduct fault diagnosis and problem solving on control and instrumentation equipment and control systems.
Control and instrumentation. Remove and replace control and instrumentation equipment and control systems.
Control and instrumentation. Conduct inspection, examination, and testing of control and instrumentation equipment and control systems.
Control and instrumentation. Ensure availability and performance of control and instrumentation maintenance tools and equipment.
Mechanical. Conduct planned, preventative, and reactive maintenance on mechanical aspects of plant, equipment, and systems.
Mechanical. Conduct fault diagnosis and problem solving on mechanical aspects of plant, equipment, and systems.
Mechanical. Remove and replace mechanical plant, equipment, and systems.
Mechanical. Conduct inspection, examination, and testing of mechanical aspects of plant.
Mechanical. Manufacture or assemble components for example, bespoke gaskets.
Mechanical. Ensure availability and performance of mechanical maintenance tools and equipment.
End-Point Assessment
Assessment Plan
Type: HTML
Version & Source
- Version
- 1.0
- Approved for delivery
- Last changed
- 13 Jul 2025
- Earliest start
- 22 Jun 2025
- Approved for delivery
- 23 Jun 2025
- EQA Provider
- Ofqual
- Sector Subject Area
- 4.1 Engineering
- Trailblazer
- TB0863
- Last checked
- 11 Mar 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What knowledge, skills and behaviours are in the ST1426 standard?▼
The Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline apprenticeship has 73 knowledge items, 64 skills, and 5 behaviours that apprentices must demonstrate.
How long is the Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline apprenticeship?▼
The typical duration is 42 months, with a maximum funding band of £27,000.
What does a delivery guide for ST1426 include?▼
The KSB Planner delivery guide includes plain-English KSB interpretations, EPA preparation guidance, delivery risk analysis, on/off-the-job mapping, employer engagement strategies, and more — all tailored to ST1426.
Data sourced from Skills England. KSB Planner delivery guides are an interpretation and planning aid based on official published source material — not an official regulator-issued document.