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EDWartens UK
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Learning path · Maintenance

Free maintenance engineer learning path (UK)

Is there a free maintenance engineer course in the UK? Yes: this path puts 10 free courses in order, from the multi-skilled role, safe isolation and fault finding to motors, pneumatics, PLC basics, UK machinery safety and CMMS. It is self-study, not an apprenticeship. The certificate is optional (£19 including VAT).

See the 10 courses

In order

The courses, with hours

About 103 hours in all. Take them in this order. Each is free and stands on its own.

  1. 1Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer (UK) BeginnerStart here: the UK role, safe working and permits, a fault-finding method, motors, sensors, pneumatics, PLC basics and CMMS logging.
  2. 2Industrial Motor Control Beginner 25 hoursContactors, starters and reversing circuits, the base of electrical fault finding.
  3. 3Mechanical Maintenance Fundamentals BeginnerBearings, lubrication, alignment, belts, chains, gearboxes and torque.
  4. 4Industrial Pneumatics and Hydraulics Beginner 35 hoursAir and oil power, which move most packaging, press and handling machinery.
  5. 5Variable Frequency Drives: Wiring, Programming, PLC and Network Control Beginner 12 hoursDrive wiring, parameters and faults.
  6. 6PLC and Electrical Troubleshooting for Maintenance Teams Beginner 14 hoursFind a fault on a machine you did not build: symptom to cause, drawings, meter work and online diagnostics.
  7. 7PUWER and UKCA: Machinery Safety for UK Engineers BeginnerPUWER 1998, guarding, risk assessment and lock off in UK terms.
  8. 8BS 7671 Inspection and Testing Essentials BeginnerSafe isolation, GS38 and test basics for electrical maintenance staff.
  9. 9TPM and Planned Maintenance with CMMS BeginnerPlanned maintenance, OEE, RCM basics and CMMS workflows.
  10. 10Maintenance Planning, Scheduling and CMMS with SAP PM Beginner 17 hoursPlanning and scheduling work, with SAP PM as the example CMMS.

Free maintenance engineer learning path (UK): guide

The role in UK terms

Maintenance engineers keep machines running through planned maintenance, breakdown repair and fault finding. In the UK the work is often split into mechanical, electrical and multi-skilled roles. A multi-skilled engineer covers both sides at a basic to intermediate level, which is why this path mixes mechanical, electrical, PLC and CMMS courses.

Start with the first course, then follow the order. If you already work in electrical maintenance, you can skip to the PLC and electrical troubleshooting course.

Practise in the Lab

The EDWartens Lab has free browser simulators for the practical side: motor control (build a direct-on-line starter, then fault-find an injected fault), electrical wiring and the multimeter. They are practice, not a substitute for supervised work on real equipment.

Jobs and apprenticeships

Checked 24 October 2026

See what is advertised now on the UK maintenance jobs board, and try the Maintenance Technician and Multi-skilled Maintenance Engineer job simulations. Days 1 to 5 are free, and they are practice, not employment.

gov.uk lists maintenance engineer apprenticeships. An apprenticeship is paid work with training, which a free course is not, so use this path alongside or before applying. Find an apprenticeship.

Next steps

Practise, then apply

Job simulations (practice, not employment)

UK jobs

Free simulators in the EDWartens Lab

Also useful

Questions

Common questions

Is there a free UK maintenance engineer course?
This path is free self-study for the knowledge side: ten courses from the multi-skilled role to CMMS. It is not an apprenticeship or a qualification, but it prepares you for one and gives you something to show.
Do I need a degree?
You do not need a degree to take these courses. Employers set their own requirements, so check current adverts and apprenticeship listings.
What is a multi-skilled maintenance engineer?
An engineer who can fault-find and repair both the mechanical and electrical sides of a machine, usually with some PLC and CMMS work. The first course in this path covers the role.
How long does the path take?
About 103 hours of study in all, so it is a programme of months at a few hours a week. Take one course at a time and finish its final exam before the next.
What do employers ask for?
It varies by employer and site. Read current adverts on the maintenance jobs board and compare them with the skills in this path. We do not promise that any course meets a particular employer's requirements.