Planning, preparing and safely carrying out work activities in door automation.
This apprenticeship trains people to install, service, and maintain powered pedestrian doors, including automatic sliding, swing, and revolving door systems. Apprentices learn to plan and prepare work activities safely, interpret technical drawings, select appropriate tools and materials, and carry out installation and service tasks in line with relevant regulations and manufacturer specifications. Health and safety compliance is central throughout, alongside developing the ability to fault-find and carry out repairs on door automation systems.
Work takes place on construction sites, retail premises, hospitals, offices, and other commercial buildings. On a typical week, an apprentice might unpack and position door hardware, run cabling, set up control systems, test automated mechanisms, and carry out scheduled maintenance visits. They will work alongside experienced engineers, liaise with site managers or facilities teams, and complete job sheets and safety documentation. Use of hand and power tools is routine, as is checking that systems meet current British and European safety standards.
Completing this apprenticeship leads to roles such as door automation engineer, service engineer, or installation engineer. With experience, progression is possible into supervisory or field service management positions. Some engineers move into related sectors such as access control, security systems, or wider building services. Employers include specialist door automation contractors, facilities management companies, and manufacturers with their own field service teams. Demand is consistent across healthcare, retail, transport hubs, and commercial property, where compliant, well-maintained automated entrances are a regulatory requirement.
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No training providers currently listed for this standard.
Completers typically move into roles such as Powered Door Installer, Door Automation Service Engineer, or Door Systems Technician. Day-to-day work involves fitting, commissioning and maintaining automated pedestrian door systems, including sliding doors, swing door operators and access control integrations. Some employers bring completers straight into a dedicated service role, handling planned maintenance contracts and reactive callouts across commercial and public sector sites.
Within three to five years, technicians commonly progress to Senior Door Systems Engineer or Lead Installer, taking responsibility for more complex projects and sometimes mentoring newer team members. From there, two tracks tend to open up: a technical specialist route covering access control integration, building management systems or fire door compliance, and a supervisory route moving into Contract Supervisor or Small Works Manager. Longer term, roles such as Operations Manager or Regional Service Manager are realistic targets within larger installation and maintenance companies.
Employers are predominantly specialist door automation contractors, building services firms, and facilities management companies. Work spans commercial offices, retail centres, hospitals, airports, transport hubs and public sector buildings. Some engineers are employed directly by door system manufacturers to carry out warranty and service work. The sector is largely private, though NHS trusts, local authorities and education estates generate steady demand for maintenance contracts. Both sole-trader and multi-site national contractor models are common.
Learning takes place on the job, with the apprentice gaining practical experience in planning, preparing, and carrying out door automation work alongside their employer. Before final assessment, the apprentice must pass a readiness check, often called a gateway, which confirms that the required knowledge, skills, and behaviours have been developed to a sufficient standard. Final assessment then provides independent confirmation that the apprentice can perform the role competently and safely. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated as part of ongoing reforms, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Building a record of workplace activity throughout the apprenticeship is far more manageable than trying to reconstruct evidence at the end. Learners should document real tasks, such as installation work, fault diagnosis, and safe working practices, as they complete them. Regular reviews with the employer and training provider help identify any gaps in competence early enough to address them. Close communication with both parties, particularly as the gateway approaches, gives the apprentice the best chance of being confirmed as ready for final assessment.
Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% on their FATP profile, and check apprentice and employer satisfaction scores alongside any learner reviews. For this standard, practical training facilities matter more than classroom hours: a strong provider will have workshop space where apprentices handle real door automation equipment, including automatic sliding, swing, and revolving door systems. Tutors and assessors should hold current industry experience, not just historical trade backgrounds. Proximity to your site or region is worth checking, since on-site practical visits are a normal part of delivery for a hands-on installation and service role.
Be cautious of providers with high apprentice volumes but declining achievement rates, which can signal stretched delivery capacity. If a provider cannot clearly explain how practical competency is assessed, that is a problem for a standard built around safe installation and fault diagnosis. Vague answers about how they keep pace with current ADSA guidance, BS EN standards for powered pedestrian doors, or manufacturer-specific equipment training are a warning sign. Providers who cannot show you what their workshop or practical training environment looks like should be pressed harder before you commit.
There are no nationally set entry requirements for this standard, so individual employers and training providers set their own criteria. Most will look for basic literacy and numeracy, and a genuine interest in practical, hands-on trade work. Some employers may ask for GCSEs in maths and English, while others will accept functional skills qualifications. Candidates should be comfortable working with tools, following technical instructions, and operating safely on site.
The typical duration is 24 months, though the exact length depends on the apprentice's prior experience and how quickly they demonstrate competence. Apprentices are employed throughout and earn a wage while they train. Some learning happens off the job, such as attending a training provider, and some happens on site. The current specification on gov.uk sets out the minimum off-the-job requirement, which is subject to change under ongoing Skills England reforms.
Before sitting the end-point assessment, an apprentice must pass through a gateway, at which point the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has met all the required knowledge, skills, and behaviour standards. Assessment models for many standards are being updated, so check the current assessment plan on gov.uk for the exact methods used. Typically, assessment tests whether an apprentice can plan, prepare, and carry out door automation work safely and to the required standard.
The funding band for this standard is £9,000, which is the maximum that can be drawn from government funding. Larger employers who pay the apprenticeship levy use their levy account to cover training costs. SMEs that do not pay the levy co-invest with the government, currently contributing 5% of the training cost, with the government paying the rest. If you are a small employer taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18, training costs are fully covered.
Day-to-day work involves installing, commissioning, and servicing powered pedestrian doors, which includes automatic sliding doors, swing doors, and revolving door systems. Apprentices plan and prepare work activities, carry out wiring and mechanical fitting tasks, test systems after installation, and diagnose faults during service visits. They follow health and safety regulations on site, read technical drawings and manufacturer specifications, and work with minimal supervision as their confidence builds over the programme.
Completing this standard gives a recognised occupational qualification at Level 2 in a specialist trade. From there, experienced engineers often move into senior installation or service roles, take on responsibility for larger project work, or progress into supervisory positions. Some go on to further technical qualifications in electrical or mechanical engineering. The door automation sector also includes roles in access control and building management systems, which can open additional career paths for those who want to specialise further.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 353.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.