Careers
Industrial maintenance technician
When a line stops, they are the one you call. The maintenance technician diagnoses, repairs and above all anticipates: they know their machines better than the drawings, and their work is measured by how long production runs without them.
What the role really asks
The job alternates two rhythms. The short one, of breakdowns: locate the fault from a symptom, isolate the component, restore service and record the intervention. The long one, of prevention: lubrication routines, vibration checks, replacing wear parts before they fail. Between the two sits the part few people expect — traceability in the CMMS, which turns an isolated repair into a usable history.
- Diagnose a mechanical, hydraulic or electrical fault from symptoms
- Align, adjust and return a production asset to service
- Run preventive maintenance routines and record them in the CMMS
- Isolate energy, raise the permit, secure the area before working
The settings that employ this profile
- Processing plants: food, beverages, cement, textiles
- Mining sites and ore treatment facilities
- Power stations, water networks, pumping stations
- Maintenance contractors working across several client sites
- Fleet workshops: construction equipment, trucks, mobile units
The figures to keep in mind before deciding
A candidate compares four things first: duration, taught hours, credits and target level. Here they are, in the order that matters. Level sets the responsibility the qualification recognises; hours state the real work asked of you; credits make comparison possible with any other programme, here or elsewhere in the region.
- qualification level
- 4
- months of programme
- 12
- taught hours
- 800 h
- credits
- 80
- competency blocks
- 5
Skilled employee and operative
Led by an instructor.
1 credit = 25 h of work, 10 of them taught.
Framework of the « Industrial Maintenance Technician » qualification, code TP02.
The validated skills, one by one
Each block matches a capability the role demands and the assessment verifies. The breakdown comes from the filed framework: it describes an occupation as it is practised, not a subject as it is taught. A block once obtained stays obtained, which makes the path resumable if working life calls for a pause.
- Mechanics and power transmission
- 200 (25 %)
- Hydraulics and pneumatics
- 180 (23 %)
- Electricity and diagnosis
- 200 (25 %)
- Methods and traceability
- 160 (20 %)
- Safe intervention and conduct
- 60 (8 %)
- Mechanics and power transmission · 200 h — Bearings, couplings, lubrication, alignment, reading drawings
- Hydraulics and pneumatics · 180 h — Circuits, cylinders, valves, settings, troubleshooting
- Electricity and diagnosis · 200 h — Distribution, motors, sensors, measurement, fault finding
- Methods and traceability · 160 h — Preventive maintenance, CMMS software, work instructions, spare parts
- Safe intervention and conduct · 60 h — Lockout, permits, personal protective equipment, professional writing
Training for industrial maintenance
Here are the paths open to this occupation, with their real cost and duration. A long programme installs the full base; a certificate targets a precise function and can be taken while keeping your job. Both strategies work, and the table gives what you need to choose between them.
| Programme | Duration | Credits | Taught hours | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Maintenance and Energy · Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 120 | 1200 h | 5 400 000 GNF per year |
| Certificate in Industrial Site Safety Management · Professional certification | 6 months | 18 | 180 h | 3 800 000 GNF in total |
What candidates ask before enrolling
Is the job purely mechanical?
It is mixed, and that is where its value lies. The framework covers mechanics, hydraulics, pneumatics and electricity, because a real fault crosses those boundaries. A technician able to follow a fault from a sensor through to a cylinder quickly becomes their workshop's go-to.
How much software is involved?
Traceability. The CMMS records interventions, parts used and hours spent: it is what demonstrates the effect of preventive work and justifies a budget. The framework devotes a full block to it, alongside methods and spare-parts management.
Can this lead to a supervisory role?
The industrial maintenance manager qualification, at level 6, takes over: planning, budget, subcontracting and indicator steering. Many reach it after a few years on the floor, since field experience is exactly what that level assumes.
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