Engineering maintenance jobs fall under two main categories: technicians and fitters. A technician is responsible for making sure that any equipment or machinery is kept running efficiently. The job spans a range of areas including transport, production and manufacturing. Essentially it is preventative maintenance. Responsibilities include organising maintenance schedules, replacing parts, responding to any breakdowns and carrying out inspections
A fitter has a similar job but is responsible for repairing and servicing equipment. This can include computers, hydraulics, electrics and mechanics. Responsibilities include dealing with breakdowns, making regular checks and fixing faults
The job requires good team work skills and the ability to respond to emergencies. It also requires the ability to problem-solve, good technical skills and an aptitude for IT, science and mathematics. Training is usually given through an apprenticeship scheme, for which a college qualification is often preferred
There are numerous opportunities for a maintenance engineer, both at home and abroad, and further education opens up management positions. A maintenance engineer can expect to earn up to £19,000 per year on entry, rising to over £30,000 per year with experience.

• Being practical and decisive
• Being technically minded
• Communication
• Being computer literate
• Being professional
• Being approachable and amenable
• Networking
• Resolving issues
• Stress management
• Being persuasive
• Performing maintenance responsibilities
• Understanding technical and mechanical data
• Working with teams
• Organisation

Studying Mechanical Engineering, Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Production, Manufacturing Engineering and other engineering courses will assist graduates in becoming eligible for jobs in Maintenance Engineering. Professionals in Computer Engineering are also eligible for this type of job. Having Bachelors or Masters Degrees is advantageous but HNC, HND, BTEC, qualifications are also accepted by some employers.