Virtual Panel Discussion: Are industry short-courses conducive to lifelong learning?
EngineerIT recently received an email which posed a good question, and we asked the industry for some help to answer it:
I am studying electronic engineering at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and want to specialise in instrumentation and control. I want to enquire about PLC courses and how they would benefit me in the industry. I have noticed that the courses on offer are short yet very expensive, so I’d like to know if it’s possible for one to truly get lifelong education from less than a week of training. A lot of companies want their employees to have extensive knowledge. Can you really gain this knowledge in just a few days?
What kinds of short-courses/training do you offer, and who are they geared towards?
Gerhard Greeff, MESA Authorised instructor, MESA Africa.
Gerhard Greeff, MESA authorised instructor, MESA Africa: “MESA offers short courses in manufacturing operations management (MOM) systems. These courses have the intent to educate current and potential engineers and technicians working with manufacturing or process industries about MOM systems in terms of systems hierarchies and architectures; international standards; concepts and trends within manufacturing and process industries; and many other elements.
“Due to the nature of manufacturing solutions and their areas of focus, experienced engineers use a combination of skills made up of (amongst others) the following disciplines: electronic, instrumentation, automation, process and industrial engineering, as well as computer science and commercial studies.”
Francois Sharp, technical engineer, Beckhoff Automation: “We offer training courses that focus on PLC programming of TwinCAT 2 and TwinCAT 3 systems. Using the abovementioned engineering environments the third part of the open international standard IEC61131 for PLCs are used to design motion controls, integrate safety projects in to a solution and create visualisations using various control elements. The courses are geared towards PLC programmers who are switching over to the TwinCAT automation suite and who are familiar with high-level language terms. The only prerequisite we require is that the incumbent be a PLC programmer.”
Dave Wibberley, MD, Adroit Technologies: “We offer courses on Adroit supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, offering the basic course (five days), advanced course (also five days). We also offer: Alarm Management and Analysis (two days); SCADA Intelligence and Reporting (three days); Basic PLC Programing (three days); Advanced PLC Programming; and Introduction to Variable Speed Drives (three days). These courses are geared to customers actually using our products.”
Petrus Klopper, MD, Ai2SA: “We offer a course for project and quality management for technicians, technologists and engineers who work within industrial automation. It is a custom-developed course with no official certification as yet and has been developed over 22 years in industry. We also present custom courses based on client’s needs i.e. PLC Programming 101 (vendor independent) and Industrial Automation Design 101.”
Considering that university engineering courses are potentially not producing graduates skilled specifically in instrumentation and automation, would you consider offering discounts to institutions such as DUT?
Francois Sharp, technical engineer, Beckhoff Automation
Francois Sharp: “We already have tertiary discounts in place across our entire product range. In addition, we offer those doing post-grad courses an additional discount and technical assistance for their research studies.”
Johan Maartens, director, SAIMC: “Our members get 10% discount at various education institutions.”
Gerhard Greeff: “Although the program is licensed by a USA-based company, it may be possible to negotiate some discounts for higher education institutions.”
Dave Wibberley: “We have never charged any engineering students to come on SCADA courses, if there is space they come for free. The Mitsubishi courses are carried out by external contractors, again if there is space we have in the past persuaded these contractors to accept students free.”
Petrus Klopper: “I would say for sure. Our challenges are that these entities may not consider the help in a good light which is a pity, and one has to be careful of more “product dropping” by OEMs/agents where millions of rand’s of equipment is simply left in university labs and not used.”
How do your courses benefit those who do them? Will it really help them prepare for a lifelong career?
Johan Maartens: “In my view, short courses are only intended to update people who already know the technology.”
Gerhard Greeff: “Keeping plant systems running and doing the necessary routine system maintenance is a full-time occupation. Attempting to keep up-to-date
Dave Wibberley, MD, Adroit Technologies.
with global standards and best practices is almost impossible. Information about global standards and best practices are typically spread between multiple resources and finding the most appropriate information for your needs as a manufacturing IT specialist is not that easy.
“Many years of work, research and manufacturing experience have been compressed into a concise education program that makes sense of the complex manufacturing systems environment, related standards and best practice concepts. The program provides (within a matter of days and not years) the tools, techniques, strategies and methodologies to ensure that manufacturing systems add real value to the company bottom line profit.
“Having this knowledge and resources available at the start of your career without the need to correlate and contextualise it over multiple years will just give you a head-start in your climb of the corporate ladder.”
Dave Wibberley: “Whilst being very specific anyone coming on our courses would be schooled in the principles of the subject that can be transported to any competitive solution.”
Francois Sharp: “The course content is designed to build a solid foundation in automation technology. Subsequently, with the consistent use and implementation of our technology, delegates are equipped to address a comprehensive range of applications based on the TwinCAT platform. They are indeed equipped for a lifelong career as our software is not only future-proof, but innovative and powerful.”
What advice do you have for engineering students to help them prepare for today’s industry?
Petrus Klopper, MD, Ai2SA.
Dave Wibberley: “Do as many courses as you can.”
Gerhard Greeff: “Getting a passing grade is one thing; gaining real-world insights into business is quite another. Don’t just study to pass, study to understand. Make use of the resources in the library and online to get broader insight than those provided by the faculty. Business needs problem solvers, not parrots. From a manufacturing company or corporate perspective, IT resources and automation engineers need to support the real business of manufacturing goods and making money. To do this they need to have the most up-to-date information on trends and global best practice, and sift these for applicability to the company. Attending a one-week course (any course) and learning about insights that took others years to gain, can jump-start a career in the automation and systems domain for any engineer.”
Francois Sharp: “There is no replacement for work experience – approach companies and request vacation work/training, even if it comes with little/no monetary benefit. The experience gained and exposure to a professional environment will be highly advantageous on entering the workplace as a graduate.”
Johan Maartens: “Participate in competitions arranged by the tertiary institutions or outside of the institutions.”
Petrus Klopper: “Early on, prospective learners should try and determine the role they wish to hold and can practically attain. If at all possible, try to get BTech as a minimum as it would allow you to work as a technologist enabling you to join CESA and become an independent consultant and later join BEPEC, which is our services export council (only applicable if you have your own company). Also consider subject matter expert fields as per automation profession – try to specialise in, for instance, cyber security, networking, etc. I personally believe the best education one must get is any hands-on and short courses aligned to products. Once you start looking for work, the focus moves from ‘Do you have qualification?’ to ‘Do you know product XYZ?’”
Further comments:
Johan Maartens, director, SAIMC.
Dave Wibberley: “I think the industry could do more to support training for graduates.”
Johan Maartens: “Education and industry have drifted far apart. The siloed view (electrical/mechanical/chemical) has become outdated and cannot address the issues facing students in the fast-moving technology trends in industry. The idea that education institutions teach the basics and expect industry to provide a training platform is also outdated and unacceptable to industry.
“Industry should support education by supplying the latest technology and train-the-trainer programs so that by the time the students complete their education, they are specialists in the technology. Industry will then teach them the particular industry processes so that they can bring the two together in a meaningful way.”
Send your comments to engineerit@ee.co.za
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