Self-test: Is the master tinsmith course (AFPE) right for me?

What does the day-to-day work of a master tinsmith with a federal diploma look like?

Master tinsmiths take on specialist and management tasks in medium-sized to large companies. However, they are often self-employed and run their own tinsmith business. Master tinsmiths are responsible for a job from acquisition and project planning through to completion and invoicing. They are involved in practical work in the workshop and on the construction site as well as in organizational and administrative tasks.

Master tinsmiths draw up a cost and construction proposal for each job and the desired construction measures, which also includes calculating and ordering the materials and planning the deployment of employees. To ensure that the orders are carried out as requested by the client and completed on time, master tinsmiths monitor the budget and regularly visit the construction site to monitor progress and consult with the clients and architects. On the construction site, they instruct the employees as required and offer technical and manual support. They also ensure that occupational safety and accident prevention measures are adhered to. On completion of the job, they invoice the work carried out and the expenses incurred.

In the area of company management, master plumbers are also involved in tasks relating to finance, accounting, law, insurance and taxation as well as personnel management. They also develop suitable marketing measures for customer acquisition. Finally, they look after their customers and maintain their customer relationships.

What are the classic tinsmith jobs?

Tinsmiths ensure that roofs and facades are protected from the effects of weather such as sun, rain, hail, speed and wind. To do this, they work with sheet metal parts, which they process, install, maintain and, if necessary, repair.

Target group and skills: Who is the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) "Master Tinsmith" with a federal diploma suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The course and the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) to become a "Master Tinsmith with a Federal Diploma" are aimed at proven specialists from the tinsmith industry who wish to specialize further in this field in order to be able to take on more responsible specialist and management tasks in the future. With the federal diploma, they want to prove their knowledge and skills with a corresponding federally recognized certificate in order to position themselves advantageously on the job market and increase their own career and salary opportunities.

In order to do justice to their tasks, master tinsmiths should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Communication skills
• Ability to organize and coordinate
• Physically fit (no loss of balance/dizziness)
• Manual dexterity
• Leadership skills
• Sense of responsibility
• Negotiating skills
• Customer-, service- and solution-oriented way of working
• Reliability
• Independence
• Physical and mental resilience
• Stress resistance
• Ability to work in a team

Requirements for admission to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for "Master Tinsmith":

In order to be admitted to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for "Master Tinsmith", you must fulfill the following requirements by the start of the examination or examination registration:

• Be in possession of a Federal Diploma of Higher Education (FPE) as a tinsmith foreman / tinsmith foreman or an equivalent qualification

And

• Have at least four years of professional experience in the plumbing industry after completing vocational education and training (VET)

And

• Have the required module qualifications* or certificates of equivalence

*The required module completions relate to the following module groups:

• Work organization
• Applied legal issues
• Finance
• Corporate management
• Marketing
• Personnel management
• Networking module corporate management

The individual modules of the master tinsmith training course are completed in the preparatory courses for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE). Upon successful completion of the respective module, candidates receive a certificate of competence, the so-called "module certificate", which is valid for five years as admission to the final examination.

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons in the event of a negative decision.

You do not yet meet all the admission requirements?
Some schools are nevertheless prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for Master Tinsmiths. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/examination registration.

Some schools also offer courses without the intention of taking an exam. In this case, however, the admission requirements vary depending on the provider.

Subject matter and content of continuing education, further training

When compiling the course content for the master tinsmith apprenticeship, the schools are guided by the specifications of the responsible body for the federal examination, suissetec. It is responsible for periodically reviewing and, if necessary, updating the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) and the requirements for master tinsmiths. This ensures that the knowledge and skills imparted meet the requirements of the job market.

In the master tinsmith training course, the respective topics are taught within modules. Which topics are covered in which module is shown below:

• Work organization" module:Construction and technical drawing (CAS / IT-supported drawing, construction drawing, detailed sketches, technical drawing), order processing (management processes, project management, damage analysis, occupational safety)
• Module "Applied legal issues":Application of the law (basis and application of common types of contracts in the trade such as purchase contracts, rental agreements, consumer credit agreements, in-depth knowledge of employment contract law and contracts for work and services, commercial register, company law, company forms (SG, GmbH, association, etc.), procedure for initiating proceedings, various types of debt collection, structure and tasks of the trade association, inheritance law, etc.).
• Finance" module:Financial and operational accounting (including accounting, income statement, balance sheet, bookkeeping, accounting), financial management (including balance sheet and income statement analysis, investment planning, investment calculation, liquidity planning), costing supported by IT (costing, post-costing, project planning)
• Corporate Management" moduleCorporate management (including economics (VWL), business administration (BWL), business plan)
• Marketing" module:Marketing (basics of marketing, analysis, goals and strategies, marketing instruments, marketing implementation)
• Personnel management" module:Personnel management (including personnel management tasks, personnel planning, recruitment, selection, development, employee induction, wage policy, social policy, termination of employment relationships)
• Module "Networking module corporate management"Management tasks, systematic networking and collaboration, presentation and argumentation.

Costs and financing of continuing education, further training

The costs for the preparatory courses for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for master tinsmiths are determined independently by the schools. There may therefore be differences.

You can expect the following costs for a master tinsmith training course:

• Course feesbetween CHF 19'000.- and CHF 21'000.-
  Cost reduction thanks to subject funding from the federal governmentSince 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for Federal Professional Examination (FPE) and Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for FPE, max. CHF 10,500 for AFPE) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examinations. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.
  
  In addition, suisstec members receive course discounts. The amount is automatically refunded by suisstec to those entitled.
• Examination fee:CHF 1,000 (as of August 2023), for suisstec members around CHF 400. The examination fee is set by the responsible body of the federal examination and is binding for all candidates. It is paid by the candidate after admission has been confirmed.
• Fee for module examinationsTotal approx. CHF 2'100.-, these are determined by the providers and are partly already included in the course fees.
• Extra costsThe costs for teaching materials, training documents, simulation exams and module exams, for example, are not included in the course fees at some schools. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect.

Duration and structure of studies, teaching times, teaching formats and learning effort

• Duration and structure:The training to become a master tinsmith takes three semesters and is completed on a part-time basis. It is designed as a modular model, i.e. a "modular system with final examination", which means that candidates must have successfully completed the specified modules and have the corresponding module certificates before they can sit the final examination.
• Lesson times:The schools themselves are responsible for drawing up a timetable - the lesson times can vary accordingly. As a rule, the lessons take place on Fridays and Saturdays (all day). In some cases, block weeks are also possible.
• Teaching formatsSince the coronavirus pandemic at the latest, many schools have been offering different teaching formats: Face-to-face teaching and online formats such as online teaching, hybrid teaching and blended learning. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine continuing education, further training with family, work and leisure in the best possible way. You can find an overview of the teaching formats in the answers. Not sure about the differences between the various teaching formats? In the answers you will find a helpful link to an overview of the teaching formats.
• Learning effort:Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the master tinsmith continuing education, you can apply and deepen the learning material immediately in practice. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-learning - how much depends on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Would you like to get a personal impression of the school first? This is possible at some schools with so-called "taster lessons". It offers you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Two important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

Do you have all the required module certificates and can you also show the required number of years of professional experience as well as the Federal Diploma of Higher Education as a tinsmith foreman? Then you can take the Advanced Professional Examination (AFPE) for master tinsmiths.

The Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) is held annually in the three official languages German, French and Italian if at least ten candidates meet the admission requirements after the call for applications, otherwise every two years. Candidates can decide for themselves in which language they wish to be examined.

Candidates are notified at least 30 days before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (location, time of the examination, permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) lasts a total of 5 hours and consists of two parts:

1) Business management case study (written, 4h)

In this part of the examination, candidates must analyze and solve a problem.

2) Diploma thesis in plumbing technology (written, prepared in advance, weighting: 2)

With the diploma thesis (individual work), candidates demonstrate that they are able to tackle challenging problems independently and develop practical solutions.

2.1) Presentation of diploma thesis / technical discussion (oral, 1h, weighting: 1)

In the final part of the examination, candidates present their diploma thesis to the experts and then answer their questions.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Master Tinsmith with a Federal Diploma".

In French: "Maître ferblantier titulaire du diplôme fédéral"

In Italian: "Maestro lattoniere diplomato federale / Maestra lattoniere diplomata federale"

Recommended English translation (note: this is not a protected title): "Master Tinsmith with Federal Diploma of Higher Vocational Education and Training"