Control Engineer (CFC)

Title: Control Engineer (CFC), OPET-certified
Option: Vocational baccalaureate

In collaboration with other professionals, control engineers build electrical commands, appliances, machines, installations or automated systems, put them into operation or maintain them. They develop solutions to adjustment and automation issues, and write technical instructions and documents.

Design and development – Control engineers, in collaboration with other professionals, develop and write the documents necessary to build automatic systems. Within this framework, they design electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic diagrams and mechanical drawings; take part in technical bids; order the necessary material to install the system and develop programmes for programmable controllers and industrial supervision systems.

Industrial production – Control engineers are also involved in various aspects of industrial production, depending upon the company they work for. Activities include building prototypes, wiring distribution and command switchboards, assembling and wiring automatic machines, and inspecting and operating installations.

Maintenance – Companies in all fields, including mechanical production with its machine tools, the food and chemical industries, pharmaceuticals, etc., need control engineers to maintain their production sites. This highly interesting field requires a good sense of responsibility, and involves modifying and improving production workshops, preventive maintenance, equipment repair, and maintenance of home automation systems.

Control engineers are known for their economic and ecological approaches and actions. They carry out assignments and projects entrusted to them in a systematic and autonomous manner, are used to working in a group, and are flexible and open to new ideas. They comply with the principles of safety in the workplace, thereby protecting the health of both workers and the environment.

Admissions 2012
information for applicantsEnrolment for 2012-2013

Admission Requirements

Completion of compulsory schooling with end-of-schooling certificate for the general (B or VSG) or pre-secondary section (A or VSB)

Passing grade on entrance exam, based on the following criteria:

  • Practical internship and personal interview (by invitation)
  • Basic-check skills test (free for the applicant invited to a personal interview; an earlier basic-check or multi-check is accepted)
  • Grades from school

Qualifications

Control engineers should be interested in the sciences and technology in general. They must:

  • Have good thinking and logic skills
  • Be creative
  • Be manually competent
  • Be thorough
  • Be persevering
  • Be responsible

The constant evolution of this profession demands an interest and willingness to undergo further training.

Organisation of the Course

In compliance with Swiss regulations, the Control Engineer (CFC) course comprises a basic two-year course followed by an in-depth two-year course.

In the first two years, basic and complementary operational skills are focused on:

  • Manual machining, assembling and inspecting of parts (b1)
  • Making programmable or electro-pneumatic wired commands, testing them and putting them into operation (b2)
  • Measuring and testing electrical components and sub-assemblies (b3)
  • Adapting the function of a programmable or electro-pneumatic wired installation command (b4)
  • Modelling parts and making CAD drawings (c8)

In the third year, the student learns two operational skills in depth:

  • Making and testing electrical commands (a4)
  • Planning, programming and putting into operation programmable PLC orders (a11)

In the fourth year, the programme takes a different, more professionally oriented course. This phase is organised under the aegis of ergonPRO and involves two six-month periods during which the student acquires two additional professional skills within a professional environment: one period within the ergonPRO structure, working on projects for external and internal customers; and one in-company internship (locally or abroad). During these work experiences, the student will develop in-depth operational skills depending on the company’s projects and specifications:

  • Planning and controlling projects on a reduced scale (a1)
  • Testing components and appliances (a2)
  • Making components and sub-assemblies (a3)
  • Making and testing electrical controls (a4) > repeated from third year!
  • Making and testing electrical energy distribution systems (a5)
  • Making and testing electrical windings (a6)
  • Testing, maintaining and putting into operation electrical machines (a7)
  • Wiring and putting into operation machines or installations (a8)
  • Planning, programming and putting into operation steering systems (a9)
  • Supervising the production of micro-technical products (a10)
  • Planning, programming and putting into operation programmable PLC orders (a11)
  • Locating and repairing failures of machines or installations (a12)
  • Maintaining operational facilities (a13)
  • Planning, leading and assessing training sessions (a14) > repeated from third year!

Students who complete internships abroad also develop language skills.

Professional Prospects

Control engineers must constantly remain abreast of new technologies, specialising in various cutting-edge fields in the companies with which they work. These companies may be energy providers, chemical industries, food industries, machine builders, manufacturers of electronic components, companies making automated systems, etc.

Higher Education

Due to the varied nature of this profession, further education as a technician or engineer (bachelor or master’s level) is available in a number of different fields:

FAQ

Can I take the Control Engineer (CFC) course without taking the technical vocational baccalaureate course?
Yes, it’s possible; however, we suggest that all students take the baccalaureate lessons during the first semester. Once a student passes this first semester, he or she can stop the baccalaureate lessons, but will still be entitled to take other lessons, notably German and English.

Can I start a course in a company and join lessons midway in the ergonEMF section?
In theory, no, because ours is a modular system.

I am interested in taking on a fourth-year student as an intern in my company.
Regardless of whether or not your company is accredited to train apprentices, that's great! Contact us to talk about it!

I have a contract to submit...
Contact us quickly to discuss your project and to assess whether it can be considered by our ergonPRO structure.

The Future of the Course

Our society is currently in a period of full industrial development. Production cost restrictions are forcing sites to automate, and quality control requires consistency in production that only automated installations can provide. The future of control engineering is thus very bright, and the demand for qualified professionals is constantly growing.