Key information

  1. Reference: OCC0164E
  2. Date updated: 04/03/2025
  3. Level: 3
  4. Route: Engineering and manufacturing
  5. Regulated occupation: No

Details of the occupational standard

Information Symbol

T-Levels logoT Levels focus on vocational skills and can help students into skilled employment, higher study or apprenticeships. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days. Students get valuable experience in the workplace; employers get early sight of the new talent in their industry.

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in a wide range of industries of national importance including but not limited to power and water infrastructure, petrochemical, oil and gas, nuclear, renewables, food and drink processing, defence, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This is a core and options apprenticeship standard. Apprentices will be trained and assessed against the core and one option. There are five options:

• Electrical power design technician 

• Control and instrumentation design technician

• Mechanical design technician

• Piping design technician

• Structural design technician

The broad purpose of the occupation is to contribute to the preparation of design solutions and produce designs, drawings or models for structures, piping, electrical systems, control and instrumentation systems or mechanical components. They must understand technical models, drawings and specifications and be able to create their own. They will identify factors likely to affect design decisions, produce Computer Aided Design (CAD) models and engineering drawings and be able to communicate design information to internal and external parties.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of internal and external stakeholders. They are usually based at office locations within project design teams and occasionally work at on-site locations. They are required to understand on-site hazards and health, safety and environmental requirements.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for contributing to the design of engineering components, structures and systems. They will typically report to an engineering design manager for supervision, greater levels of technical guidance and support, review approvals and sign-off.

Typical job titles include:

Building information modelling (bim) technician and industrial design technician Cad technician Control and instrumentation design technician Design technician Draughtsperson Drawing technician Electrical design technician Engineering design technician Engineering designer Mechanical design technician Piping design technician Structural design technician Systems design technician

Core occupation duties

Duty KSBs

Duty 1 Maintain working relationships, communicate and liaise effectively with own project team, customers, and internal and external stakeholders.

K1 K13 K14 K15 K16

S10 S18

B4 B5 B7

Duty 2 Work reliably, effectively, independently and as a member of a team, taking responsibility for their own work.

K1

S10 S12

B3 B4 B5 B6 B7

Duty 3 Meet requirements for health, safety, environmental, sustainability, professional development and ethics in engineering design practice.

K1 K2 K8 K9 K17

S1 S2 S6 S7 S12

B1 B2 B6

Duty 4 Comply with relevant legislation, regulations, company policies and procedures, strategies and technical guidance.

K1 K2 K9 K17

S1 S2 S6 S12

Duty 5 Interpret technical information to establish customer design requirements.

K2 K4 K5

S3 S16

Duty 6 Interpret, check and comment on design intent and make recommendations in line with industry standards where necessary.

K3 K4 K5 K20

S3 S9 S13 S16

Duty 7 Support the identification, analysis and evaluation of factors affecting technical designs.

K4 K5 K7 K8 K9 K10 K19

S4 S20

Duty 8 Support the development of engineering concepts and design options to solve technical challenges.

K3 K5 K19

S19 S20

Duty 9 Contribute to the evaluation of design options to determine the most appropriate solution.

K3 K5 K20

S14 S19

Duty 10 Contribute to the production, review and distribution of the final design package.

K3 K5

S8 S9

Duty 11 Update designs to incorporate any changes made as built.

K3 K5

S14

Duty 12 Update and maintain documentation and data according to the required change management process, including maintaining and issuing drawing registers.

K1 K2 K3 K14

S11

Duty 13 Assist in the selection of materials and components for their application in designs.

K11

S4 S5

Duty 14 Produce new, and update existing parts lists and bills of materials (BOMs) for associated designs.

K5 K7 K8 K9 K10

Duty 15 Create designs that are suitable, technically feasible and constructable.

K3 K4 K5 K6 K8 K9 K10 K12 K14 K18

S4 S7 S15 S17

Option duties

Structural design technician duties

Duty KSBs

Duty 24 Produce detailed structural drawings or models to the specified design intent, company and industry codes of practice, regulations, standards and procedures.

K49 K50 K51 K52 K53

S35 S36

Duty 25 Use digital technologies and techniques such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Building Information Modelling (BIM) to prepare, produce and present structural designs in accordance with approved design procedures and systems.

K54

S37

KSBs

Knowledge

Skills

Behaviours

T Level in design and development for engineering and manufacturing

Awarding organisation: City & Guilds

Qualification type: T Level Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 30/09/2021

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