The Leonardo da Vinci Project VOMTE (2005-SE/05/B/F/PP-161003)

1. The Leonardo da Vinci Project VOMTE (2005-SE/05/B/F/PP-161003) IT-based Validation and Certification System for practical working Maintenance Technicians The Partners are: The Swedish Maintenance Society, UTEK The Danish Maintenance Society, DDV The Belgian Maintenance Society, BEMAS The Slovakian Maintenance Society, SSU The Slovenian Maintenance Society, DVS The Dublin Institute of Technology, DIT For further information contact: utek@telia.com

2. The Validation of Maintenance Technicians project will develop a validation tool to make it possible to measure knowledge and proficiency in the maintenance area. This professional group of maintenance technicians, which is the core force for maintaining the reliable function of advanced technical systems, will in the years to come be in short supply due to natural retirement. This, together with the fast technical development towards even more sophisticated equipment, is now requiring an urgent need of being able to define training- and development plans for those will who will become part of this professional group. The developed system will also give unique possibilities to compare standard of knowledge and proficiency for maintenance technicians within Europe. The project gives also indications to increased quality, attraction and status of the professional training in Europe, due to the goal of the Copenhagen declaration.

3. The aim of the project is to develop an IT based validation tool, with one thousand questions and four thousand answers, to make it possible to measure knowledge and proficiency in the maintenance area. The tool will help each individual to measure how they correspond to the requirements of professional maintenance technicians. No neutral method is available today. The goal for the project is to create a new system to validate the individual’s competence, theoretical knowledge and practical skill, within maintenance and how to increase the individual’s knowledge through training. By the developed system the validation of maintenance technicians will be part of a system for lifelong learning. The individual will have a neutral recommendation of a course as a guideline, in the lifelong learning, as part of the technical development and on the job training. This new method is needed which easily can be adapted for various languages and using the same quality standard. The IT-based validation system shall give all the mentioned possibilities to a limited cost. The system will be established in European countries and follows the ISO standard 17024. Every tested person will have an individual syllabus supporting the person to develop knowledge of technical areas to stipulated standard. Employment’s office can use the system in the process to match individual capability to employer’s requirement. The enterprises can use the system to map and develop labour force for new type of work or to keep the required knowledge. An individual will have a formal document showing knowledge and skill level captured during “on-job-training” as informal, formal and not formal learning. The validation system will become an extreme good tool in the process to increase European mobility of practical working maintenance technicians.

4. 1 000 questions and 4 000 alternative answers to be developed in these areas: 2.1 Maint. Objectives and Policies 2.7 Condition Monitoring 1.1 Work Planning 1.2 Team Working and Communication 2.2 Maintenance Concepts 2.8 Fault Finding Techniques Based upon the requirement by The European Federation of National Maintenance Societies 1.4 Information Technology 2.3 Restoration Techniques 2.9 Improvement Techniques 1.5 Training and Instructions 2.4 Maintenance Terminology 2.10 Documentation 1.6 Quality Assurance (Systems) 2.11 Spare Part Management 2.5 Contracts 2.6 Laws and Regulations 2.12 Materials Technology 1.7 Environment 1.8 Automation 30 Practical tests to be developed for each of these areas: 3.1 Practical Computer Handling 3.2 Practical Fault Finding 1.3 English language

5. Development organisation Project leader Swedish National Maintenance Society Partner: Methodology quality assurance Gavle University Technical support from many member companies Partners: Basic question production by National Maintenance Societies from Slovenia, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Slovakia, Ireland Partner: Language and method development: Irish Maintenance Society Valorisation:21 members in European Federation of National Maintenance Societies - EFNMS Technical supportfrom many member companies

6. Local agreements Project leader UTEK with Leonardo contract Technical supporters from industry and vocational schools Contract Contract Partners developing questions Partners developing language and quality aspects Local agreements Valorisation plan Information packages Technical supporters from industry and vocational schools IT-system testers from industry Development structure and participation in valorisation EFNMS future users

7. Formingquestions and quality arrangements Question proposals from Belgium, Croatia, Denmark Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, . . . Irish Maintenance Society Gavle University Adjustments and language refinements Enter into data base IT-system usage Feedback adjustments Practical tests

8. Development of practical tests covering the technical areas Financial circumstances Needed facilities and equipment Test places Regulations for testing Reporting of test results Record for tests Validation criteria Test supervisor Planning; Training of test supervisors Practical tests in validation system for practical working maintenance technicians

9. Validation system for Maintenance Technician Test leader Registrations of persons Test process supervisor Theoretical test Practical tests Initiating fee handling Reporting results Quality and IT-system security Accredited Test Centres with direct access with the server

10. For use in 21 member countries of European Federation of National Maintenance Societies Master question bank in English and in local language ä Server based Results from practical tests Validation and certification IT-tool Failed tests Training recommendations Internet Passed tests Certificate Theoretical tests Supervisor Security and updating