Operation Maintenance Engineer
State Approved Degrees and Certificates You Can Earn
Certificate of Achievement - Steam Plant
Most craft workers specialize in one kind of work, such as plumbing or carpentry. General maintenance and repair workers, however, have skills in many different crafts. They repair and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems. They build partitions, make plaster or drywall repairs, and fix or paint roofs, windows, doors, floors, woodwork, and other parts of building structures. They also maintain and repair specialized equipment and machinery found in cafeterias, laundries, hospitals, stores, offices, and factories. Typical duties include troubleshooting and fixing faulty electrical switches, repairing air-conditioning motors, and unclogging drains. New buildings sometimes have computer-controlled systems that allow maintenance workers to make adjustments in building settings and monitor for problems from a central location. For example, they can remotely control light sensors that turn off lights automatically after a set amount of time or identify a broken ventilation fan that needs to be replaced.
General maintenance and repair workers inspect and diagnose problems and determine the best way to correct them, frequently checking blueprints, repair manuals, and parts catalogs. They obtain supplies and repair parts from distributors or storerooms. Using common hand and power tools such as screwdrivers, saws, drills, wrenches, and hammers, as well as specialized equipment and electronic testing devices, these workers replace or fix worn or broken parts, where necessary, or make adjustments to correct malfunctioning equipment and machines.
General maintenance and repair workers also perform routine preventive maintenance and ensure that machines continue to run smoothly, building systems operate efficiently, and the physical condition of buildings does not deteriorate. Following a checklist, they may inspect drives, motors, and belts, check fluid levels, replace filters, and perform other maintenance actions. Maintenance and repair workers keep records of their work.
One specialized certification required for many maintenance workers is the “Certified Steam Boiler License” Los Angeles Trade Technical College offer a Certificate of Completion-Steam Plant. The core of the program is to prepare a student to take the Boiler/Steam Plant certification exam. The remainder of the program is to give as many varied skills as possible in multiply trades to create a highly capable general maintenance worker.
General maintenance and repair workers held 1.3 million jobs in 2006. They were employed in almost every industry. Around 1 in 5 worked in manufacturing industries, almost evenly distributed through all sectors, while about 1 in 6 worked for different government bodies. Others worked for wholesale and retail firms and for real estate firms that operate office and apartment buildings.
Job opportunities should be favorable, especially for those with experience in maintenance or related fields. General maintenance and repair is a large occupation with significant turnover. Additionally, many job openings are expected to result from the retirement of many experienced maintenance workers over the next decade.
Employment of general maintenance and repair workers is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through 2014. Employment is related to the number of buildings-for example, office and apartment buildings, stores, schools, hospitals, hotels, and factories-and the amount of equipment needing maintenance and repair.