Education and Training Opportunities

Careers in building engineering and maintenance do not require a four-year college degree and the accompanying costs and debt, but there are courses you can take to give you a leg up in the industry. Fortunately, there are numerous education and training options in the DC Metro area. Click on the link below for more information about relevant courses throughout the area. Please note the education and training opportunities below are often available free of charge, or at least at a highly reduced rate:

The AOBA Engineering Talent Task Force identified the following suggested courses at various points of the building engineering career:

 

Entry Level (0-3 Years Experience–Maintenance Helper, Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Technician, Assistant Building Engineer*)

  • OSHA 10-hour basic safety course
  • Basic HVAC
  • CFC Universal
  • Basic Electricity
  • Basic Plumbing
  • General computer literacy and/or soft skills training, as needed5

Mid-Level (3-5 Years Experience–Maintenance Mechanic, Maintenance Technician, Assistant Building Engineer, Building Engineer)

  • Low-Pressure Boilers
  • High-Pressure Steam
  • DDC Controls I
  • Pneumatics I
  • HVAC II
  • Electrical II
  • General computer literacy and/or soft skills training, as needed

Senior Level (6-10+ Years Experience–Building Engineer, Lead Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, Regional Engineer/Manager)

  • OSHA 30-hour safety course
  • DDC Controls I, II
  • Pneumatics I,II
  • HVAC III
  • Electrical III
  • Mid-level proficiency in widely used office software (MS Office, etc.)
  • Project Budgeting I
  • Management Skills Training**

 

*Please note titles vary across companies. For example, a “Maintenance Helper” at one company and an “Assistant Building Engineer” at another may be working in the same role. This applies across entry, mid, and senior level positions.

**As engineers at this level are often managing numerous people and projects, a variety of management skills training programs