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Apprenticeship training course

Automation and controls engineering technician (level 4)

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Information about Automation and controls engineering technician (level 4)

Installing and maintaining hardware and software for automation systems.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • Engineering maths - mathematical principles and theories that underpin engineering.
  • Engineering principles - the underlying principles of electrical and electronic circuits and devices.
  • Functional solutions - Create functional solutions; identifying and justifying a solution to a given engineering need.
  • Safety procedures - relevant safety procedures required to operate on automation equipment in an industrial environment.
  • Single and three phase circuits - single phase and three phase supplies on AC and DC motor and control circuits.
  • Automation knowledge - Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Variable Speed Drives (VSD), Human Machine Interface (HMI) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), robotics hardware and software tools to carry out configuration, programming and fault finding duties.
  • Instrumentation knowledge - instrumentation used to measure flow, temperature, pressure etc and the means by which they transmit measurement data.
  • Use of software tools - Justification in the utilisation of software tools would be for but not limited to the changing of hardware configurations, firmware updates, software modifications and commissioning.
  • Industrial networking knowledge - the application, installation and operational characteristics of industrial communication networks at Supervisory (e.g. Ethernet), Cell (e.g. PROFINET and PROFIBUS) and Field (e.g. AS-Interface) levels.
  • Use of diagnostic tools - diagnostic tools and equipment including web-based diagnostics incorporated into network devices and other software tools (e.g. PROFITrace).
  • Understand technical documents - Ability to follow electrical system circuit diagrams, understand the operation of the various components that make up an automation system.
  • Safety legislation and responsibilities - electrical safety system legislation and directives.
  • Quality systems - quality assurance principles to ensure operation, consistency and quantification of enhancement of manufacturing and process applications.

Skills

  • Safety Effective - The ability to work safely in an industrial environment and where required, produce risk assessment and method statement documentation. Be able to apply the principles of functional machinery or process safety including SIL (Safety Integrated Level) and PL (Performance Level) terminology.
  • Engineering documentation - Production and interpretation of a range of technical documentation (device manuals, operating procedures, schematics, fault reports etc), and working with company documentation systems.
  • Project engineering capabilities - Support of installation, commissioning, shut-down, start-up and maintenance, service, or support of a wide range of systems and devices.
  • Diagnostic capabilities - Fault finding, diagnosis, rectification and reporting of automation control systems and controls applications via the utilisation of formal problem solving methods and diagnostic tools or software.
  • Instrumentation configuration and calibration - Set-up, calibrate and commission a wide variety of field level instrumentation that interfaces to automation and control systems
  • Industrial Networks configuration and support - configure, assist commissioning and continued support of industrial network solutions at all hierarchical levels of control system integration using the requisite tools and or software.
  • HMI and SCADA configuration and programming - Make changes to existing systems or implement new configurations.
  • PLC or Robot configuration and programming - Implement complex PLC or Robot program content and configurations to affect changes to increase availability and or efficiency of automation controlled machinery and the ability to configure PLC and or Robot hardware and program a wide variety of PLC’s and or Robot’s.

Behaviours

  • Zero Harm - Always prioritise on Health and Safety best practice.
  • Resilience - Sound and established ability to work effectively both in a team and alone.
  • Personal excellence - Interact professionally with clients and stakeholders.
  • Communicative - High quality communication skills.
  • Ethical - Strong professional and business ethics.
  • Commitment - A focus on quality in all the tasks assigned.
  • Continual development - Willingness to learn new processes, methods and technologies.
  • Responsibility - Strong commitment and accountability and ability to apply independent judgement.
  • Personal Values - Respect and tolerance of others.
  • Ambassadorial - To be a role model of engineering practice and to promote engineering in order to sustain a pipeline of future talent.
  • Reflection - Evaluate outcomes of own performance across all duties.
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Engineering and manufacturing
Qualification level
4
Equal to higher national certificate (HNC)
Course duration
48 months
Maximum funding
£14,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Automation and controls engineering technician

View more information about Automation and controls engineering technician (level 4) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.