Industrial Controls Education and Training

Finding training and education opportunities for industrial control systems

By Kim Finn
With the continuing evolution and advancement of industrial control system technology, those in industries that rely on these systems require initial industrial controls education and training and continuing education/training to ensure knowledge, capability and reliability when working on industrial control panels and with industrial control systems. Critical industries that rely on these systems include electrical, data, water and oil and gas.

Industrial control systems include distributed control systems (industrial control DSP), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and smaller programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Keep in mind three different types of training and education beneficial to those working with industrial control systems:

1. Training programs dealing with industrial control systems for professional development.

2. Industrial control equipment training resulting in certification.

3. Self education about security certification for industrial control systems.

 

Enhance your resume with industrial controls education and training

Take advantage of relevant training programs available through industrial training sources, as well as industrial control distributors.
Try: Learn more about the Control Systems Technician Training Series offered by TWL Industrial, a division of TWL Knowledge Group. The company supplies training courses dealing with plant operations, maintenance and safety to manufacturing and continuous process industries. Its training delivery methods include online, print, videotape, CD-ROM and DVD. Designed for electrical maintenance and instrumentation technicians, industrial control training topics include Continuous Process Controls, Control Networks, Programmable Controllers and Controls/Variable Speed Drives. Industrial Controls, a distributor of controls for commercial HVAC process applications/industrial automation applications, also offers technical training programs. Its Pneumatic HVAC Controls Training program aims itself at operators and supervisors from plants, warehouses and large office buildings, as well as HVAC servicemen/managers from mechanical contractors or controls contractors. At any of the company's locations throughout the U.S., each student gets hands-on training working at an industrial control panel.

Get certified through an industrial controller training program

Certification programs will boost credibility and professional development while providing the knowledge to work on various systems.
Try: Start out with training programs like the one at Columbus Technical College, the Industrial Motor Control Technician Certificate program.Earn a certificate in programmable logic controllers and SCADA Systems by completing the online training program from Business Industrial Network, a Better Business Bureau online accredited business that delivers onsite and other forms of engineering and maintenance training. This particular course gears itself towards engineers, electricians, maintenance and others interested in the latest developments in PLC and SCADA systems, fundamentals of their design, installation, troubleshooting and more.

Take advantage of certification options for industrial control systems

Even with so many benefits to technology, no one can deny one of its serious down sides -- the increased potential for cyber attacks. Those who manufacture or operate mission critical systems used in controlling transportation, power generation, oil production and water treatment understand the need for more secure critical infrastructure control systems resistant to cyber attack. Certification programs available for industrial control products can alleviate many of your concerns.
Try: Visit the Mu Dynamics website to learn more about Mu's Secure Industrial Control (MUSIC) certification program. Industrial control system vendors can use the (MUSIC) certification program for onsite certification testing of industrial control components, and industrial control system end users can use MUSIC certification to verify that vendors have actually accomplished claimed certification tests. Learn more about the Achilles Certification program from Wurldtech Labs, the research center of Wurldtech Security Technologies. The program offers device manufacturers independent verification of their product's security, and it gives control system operators assurance of the security of their deployed products.

 

  • Before registering for any online industrial control system training program, review the company's website for its customer/technical support availability.