Mechanical engineering technician (four-year technical course)

Field of employment

The profession of a mechanical engineering technician is certainly the most employable of all technical professions. It is needed almost everywhere in the mechanical industry, as well as in the wood, textile, construction and more industries.

A mechanical engineering technician can be employed as:

• an organizer and leader of work at different levels of decision making: a company manager, a production and sales unit manager, a workshop or construction site foreman, a foreman of a group of installers,…
• a constructor, technologist,
• a production machine operator, a production or product controller, a storekeeper,
• a programmer and operator of computer controlled machines, a maintainer of computer equipment,
• a commercial and purchasing clerk, a sales consultant,
• a sales agent or manager, a car dealer and dealer of technical equipment,
• an insurance agent, a car damage assessor,
• a construction site supervisor, a construction contractor,
• an installer of air conditioning, gas and heating systems,
• a security guard, a hands-on instructor or driving instructor…

But he or she can also become a sole proprietor, opening up even more chances for success in life.

Aims of the educational program

In addition to the general goals of education, the program enables students to:

• systematically complete general education in all basic general education subjects,
• acquire basic technical, theoretical and practical knowledge,
• develop the ability to observe and think critically,
• master basic professional terminology and to be able to use professional literature,
• know how to prepare and analyze technical and technological documentation,
• learn the purpose of software tools for drawing, design and control,
• learn about the processing and treatment of metal and non-metallic materials,
• learn about the importance of automation and robotics in manufacturing,
• acquire basic knowledge that enables them to think entrepreneurially,
• understand the importance of economics of work and organization of workplace, work unit,
• acquire knowledge to determine the quality of the work performed, to identify the causes of poor quality work performed and to eliminate them,
• understand process and systems evaluation and optimization,
• learn about safety regulations and are able to follow them consistently at work,
• develop ecological awareness, thrift and personal responsibility,
• know development tasks, design and planning tasks,
• know how to order equipment,
• be able to participate in team and project tasks,
• learn about the elements of sustainable development,
• know how to analyze working conditions.

Upon completion of education, the student will:

• be responsible, tolerant, humane and capable of living in a democratic society,
• be qualified for teamwork and participation in project work – based activities,
• have a foundation for the development of a personal organizational culture in the workplace and work environment,
• be able to search for rational and professional solutions in the implementation of activities in the work environment,
• be focused on lifelong learning and training,
• be trained in the application of knowledge and skills in new situations,
• extend his or her general education and develop key competences for successful participation in society, for his or her personal development and further education in accordance with national standards of key qualifications.

Duration of education

Four years, the educational program is evaluated with 240 credits.

Enrollment conditions

The best possible results from elementary school, especially sufficient knowledge of mathematics, foreign language and physics, interest in the profession and technology in general, precision, diligence and orderliness, good spatial presentation, readiness for learning.

Conditions for promotion

Students who end the year on a positive note at the end of the school year can be promoted to a higher year from all general education subjects and professional modules of the year of the school curriculum, complete all interesting activities and all obligations of practical training by work, or progress according to the decision of the program teacher assembly.

Conditions for completion

In order to complete education and get a degree, a student must successfully pass a positive assessment in the following fields:

• general education subjects,
• compulsory professional modules,
• optional professional modules,
• the open part of the curriculum.

In addition, the student must complete:

• extracurricular activities,
• obligations in practical training through work,
• vocational matura examination.

Vocational matura consists of the following subjects or constituents, respectively:

• written and oral exam in Slovene,
• exam in mechanical engineering,
• written and oral exam in a foreign language or mathematics (at the student’s choice),
• defense of a seminar paper on a product designed and produced by the student.

Nacionalne poklicne kvalifikacije

The educational program shall enable the following national vocational qualifications to be obtained in accordance with the procedure laid down in the regulations governing national vocational qualifications:

• CNC machine operator,
• machine operator.

Further training

After graduation, mechanical engineering technicians can continue their education at colleges and universities. Students will be able to enroll in university study programs and will complete a fifth course within the vocational matura course, which will be determined by the individual faculties to which they wish to enroll. Most mechanical engineers enroll in a highly professional mechanical engineering program, and some also in business economics, construction, computer science and computer science, geodesy, etc.