This 3-month programme is non-credit-bearing and non-accredited, delivered by ECT’s affiliated institute, EIT, and therefore your certificate of completion will be awarded by EIT. This professional certificate is distinct from ECT’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programme offerings.
This professional development course is designed for engineers and technicians who need to gain a practical understanding of power distribution, switchgear, power cables, transformers, power factor correction, earthing, lightning protection, and network studies.
This is a practical course in power distribution, focusing on medium voltage (1kV- 36kV) power considerations, switchgear, power cables, transformers, power factor correction, earthing, lightning protection, and network studies.
This course will help you understand practical power distribution fundamentals, determine short-circuit ratings quickly and effectively, and assess the influence of fault levers on switchgear ratings.
We will cover how to select the correct type of switchgear for the right application, and evaluate the advantages of modern state-of-the-art switchgear protection for your applications, including preventative maintenance information. You will also learn how to identify the different applications for various cable insulation types and how to specify correct power cable installation methods.
This course will also help you understand when and how to use single core cables versus three-core cables, as well as how to use and protect power transformers correctly. We will cover the ways of assessing and specifying correct grounding/earthing throughout your electrical network, and how to determine the need for Power Factor Correction (PFC) for your environment.
On top of this, you will learn how to assess the economic justification for installing PFC equipment, correctly specify PFC equipment and be aware of practical consequences, and confidently use computer simulation software to solve and predict power network problems.
The course is composed of 12 modules, covering topics such as correctly implementing the right type of switchgear for the appropriate application, economically selecting and installing the best-suited power cable for a specific use, implementing successful maintenance strategies and procedures, and effectively using software techniques to solve problem areas in your power network.
To obtain a certificate of completion for EIT’s Professional Certificate of Competency, students must achieve a 65% attendance rate at the live, online fortnightly webinars. Detailed summaries/notes can be submitted in lieu of attendance. In addition, students must obtain a mark of 60% in the set assignments which could take the form of written assignments and practical assignments. Students must also obtain a mark of 100% in quizzes. If a student does not achieve the required score, they will be given an opportunity to resubmit the assignment to obtain the required score.
Please note: This 3-month programme is non-credit-bearing and non-accredited, delivered by ECT’s affiliated institute, EIT, and therefore your certificate of completion will be awarded by EIT.
You will be required to pay your tuition fee upfront before the programme start date.
For a limited time, a promotional fee of £599 applies to new applications submitted between 1 July 2026 and 30 November 2026. The standard tuition fee is £933.
Payment can be made by credit card (Visa and Mastercard only). Upfront payments must be received prior to the programme’s start date.
Please note that if the course does not proceed, you will be issued with a full refund.
The promotional fee cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. We reserve the right to amend, extend or withdraw this promotion after the advertised closing date.
Our courses are delivered by experienced engineers and technical experts from around the world. Many have tackled real-world engineering challenges and bring practical, applied knowledge directly into the classroom.
We draw from a global pool of instructors and lecturers across our organisation. Explore our full team of expert educators on the Instructors & Lecturers page here.
Please note: Not all lecturers and instructors listed on this page will teach every course. The team teaching your course will be confirmed as part of your course enrolment.
This course may use the following software:
Due to ongoing unit and course reviews, software may change from the list provided.
You are expected to spend approximately 5-8 hours per week learning the course content. This includes attending fortnightly webinars that run for about 90 minutes to facilitate class discussion and allow you to ask questions. This program has a 65% attendance requirement in the live webinars in order to graduate from the program. If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you have the option of watching the recording of completed webinars and sending a summary of what you have learnt from the webinar to the Learning Support officer. The summaries go towards your attendance requirement for the program.
This program is run online on an intensive part-time basis and has been designed to fit around full-time work. It will take three months to complete.
We understand that sometimes work commitments and personal circumstances can get in the way of your studies, so if at any point you feel that you are struggling with the pace of the course or finding a particular module challenging, you are encouraged to contact your designated Learning Support Officer for assistance.
Registrations are open for our upcoming intakes. Please ensure you book your place at least one week before the start date of the program.
If the course is not currently scheduled, please contact us.
