Electrical engineering technicians work together with electrical engineers in electrical engineering research. They perform technical tasks and aid in the designing, testing, manufacturing and operation of electrical devices and facilities.
Electrical engineering technicians typically split their time between offices and labs or factories. While in the office, they may strategize and plan devices and systems. They might then visit the lab or factory to build, test and repair technology. Many work for government agencies, but private businesses in industries like manufacturing and consumer goods might also hire these skilled individuals.
Most electrical engineering technicians work a standard 9-to-5 schedule, but some businesses might require night shifts depending on the production schedule they follow.
An associate’s degree in electrical or electronics engineering is generally the minimum required to work as an electrical engineering technician. They are available at community colleges and vocational–technical schools, and typically include courses such as algebra, programming languages, physics, and circuitry.
Depending on the job tasks or the industry, employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree. Candidates for other jobs may qualify with a high school diploma and a relevant work experience.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Electrical engineering technician is a Skill level 3 occupation.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of electrical engineering technician. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of electrical engineering technician with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of electrical engineering technician.
Electricity principles: Electricity is created when electric current flows along a conductor. It entails the movement of free electrons between atoms. The more free electrons are present in a material, the better this material conducts. The three main parameters of electricity are the voltage, current (ampère), and resistance (ohm).
Design drawings: Understand design drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.
Electrical engineering: Understand electrical engineering, a field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
Electrical discharge: The qualities and applications of electrical discharge, including voltage and electrodes.
Electrical testing methods: Test procedures performed on electrical equipment and machinery in order to check the performance and quality of the electrical equipment and their adherence to specifications. During these tests electrical properties, such as voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, and inductance, are measured using electrical measuring equipment, such as multimeters, oscilloscopes, and voltmeters.
Electrical equipment components: The essential components of a certain electrical product, such as electrical wires, circuit breakers, and switches.
Electrical wiring diagrams: The visual schematic representation of an electrical circuit, its components, and the connections between these components.
These skills are necessary for the role of electrical engineering technician.
Apply soldering techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of soldering, such as soft soldering, silver soldering, induction soldering, resistance soldering, pipe soldering, mechanical and aluminium soldering.
Prepare pieces for joining: Prepare metal or other material workpieces for joining processes by cleaning the workpieces, checking their measurements with the technical plan and marking on the pieces where they’ll be joined.
Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
Measure electrical characteristics: Measure voltage, current, resistance or other electrical characteristics by using electrical measuring equipment such as multimeters, voltmeters, and ammeters.
Read assembly drawings: Read and interpret drawings listing all the parts and subassemblies of a certain product. The drawing identifies the different components and materials and provides instructions on how to assemble a product.
Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
Test electrical equipment: Test electrical systems, machines, and components and check electrical properties, such as voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, and inductance, using electrical testing and measuring equipment, such as a multimeter. Gather and analyse data. Monitor and evaluate system performance and take action if needed.
Assemble electrical components: Assemble switches, electrical controls, circuit boards and other electrical components by using hand and soldering equipment.
Adjust engineering designs: Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
Align components: Align and lay out components in order to put them together correctly according to blueprints and technical plans.
Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
Read standard blueprints: Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
Read engineering drawings: Read the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.
Abide by regulations on banned materials: Comply with regulations banning heavy metals in solder, flame retardants in plastics, and phthalate plasticisers in plastics and wiring harness insulations, under EU RoHS/WEEE Directives and China RoHS legislation.
Liaise with engineers: Collaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.
Fasten components: Fasten components together according to blueprints and technical plans in order to create subassemblies or finished products.
Assist scientific research: Assist engineers or scientists with conducting experiments, performing analysis, developing new products or processes, constructing theory, and quality control.
Ensure material compliance: Ensure that the materials provided by suppliers comply with the specified requirements.
Prepare production prototypes: Prepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.
Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment, such as a soldering gun, a soldering torch or a gas-powered iron, to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of electrical engineering technician. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Materials science: Field of science and engineering that researches new materials on the basis of their structure, properties, synthesis, and performance for a variety of purposes, including increasing fire resistance of construction materials.
Electrical equipment regulations: The national and international regulations with regards to the use and manufacture of electrical equipment on the workfloor. These regulations provide rules and guidelines on topics such as general risk management, electrical equipment manufacture, electrical equipment testing, electrical equipment installation, warning labels, and certificates.
Electromechanics: The engineering processes that combine electrical and mechanical engineering in the application of electromechanics in devices that need electricity to create mechanical movement or devices that create electricity by mechanical movement.
Electric motors: Motors which are able to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.
Wire harnesses: Assemblies of wires or cables that are bound together by cable ties, tape, or lacing, and are able to transfer signals or electricity. Through binding the wires together, the wires are better protected against damage, are more compact, and require less time to install.
Manufacture of electrical wire products: The assembly processes and manufacturing steps taken to fabricate insulated electrical wire and cable, made from steel, copper, or aluminium.
Electrical wire accessories: Electrical wire and cable products and accessories, such as electrical connectors, splices, and wire insulation.
Electrical power safety regulations: The compliance with safety measures which need to be taken during the installation, operation, and maintenance of constructions and equipment which function in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical power, such as the appropriate safety gear, equipment handling procedures, and preventive actions.
Nuclear energy: The generation of electrical energy through the use of nuclear reactors, by converting the energy released from nuclei of atoms in reactors which generate heat. This heat subsequently generates steam which can power a steam turbine to generate electricity.
CAE software: The software to perform computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis tasks such as Finite Element Analysis and Computional Fluid Dynamics.
Power electronics: The functioning, design, and usage of electronics that control and convert electric power. Power conversion systems are usually categorised as AC-DC or rectifiers, DC-AC or inverters, DC-DC converters, and AC-AC converters.
Switching devices: Devices that are able to open and close electrical circuits, such as disconnecting switches, interrupter switches, and circuit breakers.
CAD software: The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.
Electric drives: Electromechanical systems that utilise electric motors to control the movement and processes of electrical machinery.
Electric generators: The principles and operations of devices that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, such as dynamos and alternators, rotors, stators, armatures, and fields.
Electrical wiring plans: Pictorial representation of an electrical circuit. It shows the components of the circuit as simplified shapes, and the power and signal connections between the devices. It gives information about the relative position and arrangement of devices and terminals on the devices, to help in building or servicing the device. A wiring diagram is often used to troubleshoot problems and to make sure that all the connections have been made and that everything is present.
Power engineering: Subdiscipline of energy and electrical engineering which specialises in the generation, transmission, distribution, and usage of electrical power through the connection of electrical devices to motors, generators, and transformers, such as an AC-DC power adapter.
Electrical machines: Electrical apparatus that are able to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy (generators), electrical energy to mechanical energy (motors), and change the voltage level of an AC or alternating current (transformers).
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of electrical engineering technician. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Monitor machine operations: Observe machine operations and evaluate product quality thereby ensuring conformity to standards.
Resolve equipment malfunctions: Identify, report and repair equipment damage and malfunctions; communicate with field representatives and manufacturers to obtain repair and replacement components.
Apply coating to electrical equipment: Prepare and apply coating, such as conformal coating, to electrical equipment and its components to protect the equipment against moisture, high temperature, and dust.
Maintain electrical engines: Understanding of electrical circuits and being able to repair. Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.
Troubleshoot: Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.
Maintain electrical equipment: Test electrical equipment for malfunctions. Take safety measures, company guidelines, and legislation concerning electrical equipment into account. Clean, repair and replace parts and connections as required.
Dispose of hazardous waste: Dispose of dangerous materials such as chemical or radioactive substances according to environmental and to health and safety regulations.
Use specialised tools in electric repairs: Use of a variety of specialised tools, instruments and machines, such as presses, drills and grinders; employ them to carry out repairs in a safety manner.
Use wire hand tools: Be able to use wire hand tools, such as crimp tools, cable strippers, and cable cutters.
Use CAM software: Use computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programmes to control machinery and machine tools in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation as part of the manufacturing processes of workpieces.
Use wire processing machinery: Be able to use wire processing machines, such as wire cutting machines, wire crimping machines, and wire stripping machines.
Integrate new products in manufacturing: Assist with the integration of new systems, products, methods, and components in the production line. Ensure that production workers are properly trained and follow the new requirements.
Write technical reports: Compose technical customer reports understandable for people without technical background.
Bend wire: Operate machinery or use handtools to cut and bend wire to form parts.
Design electric power systems: Construct generation plants, distribution stations and systems and transmission lines to get energy and new technology where it needs to go. Use high tech equipment, research, maintenance and repair to keep these systems running. Further design and plan layout of the buildings to be constructed.
Maintain power plants: Repair and perform routine maintenance on equipment and systems in power plants to ensure that everything functions safely and is compliant with legislation.
Repair wiring: Find faults in wires or cables by using specialised equipment and repair these faults depending on type of wiring.
Apply technical communication skills: Explain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.
Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
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