The 2020s are going to be years in which technology will take a much bigger place in the industry. Like the revolution some 100 years ago, these are the years when tech companies will need the help of engineers as much as possible.
In other words, this is the best time to start learning about some of the things you find interesting but never took time to become an expert in them.
Many HR agencies say that the future of employment is in training and learning new skills. The more skills a person has, the more chance to stay employed they have. This is why it’s great to start a course for PLC training in 2020.
Finding a great mentor about this skill is not easy, though. There are simply not as many on the internet as there are for some other professions. If you want to know how to find the best PLC training and to learn what the things are that is going to teach you, take a look at the following!
What do you need to have for learning PLC?
Many people think that they need to have some basic understanding of the industry. Actually, the only thing you need to have for learning this is to have a basic understanding of technology and have the will to listen to what the mentors have to say about it.
There’s no logic to spend your money on a course that you don’t want to know anything about. Even if you get the diploma at the end of the course, and someone hires you because of it, who’s going to keep you at work when they see you know nothing about it, right?
That’s why we say that the only thing you need to have with you is a will to study. Of course, a device with an internet connection too, but you obviously already have that since you’re reading this article.
What is it that you’re supposed to learn?
The course should teach you how to build, handle, and maintain the PLC controllers. If you don’t know what they are, here’s a simple definition: PLC or Programmable Logic Controller is an industrial digital computer that controls the machines in a certain factory. It can be adapted for more machines at once or control just one.
In other words, the machine that creates those amazingly delicious and perfectly shaped Mr. Pringles chips’ is being made by a PLC expert who already took some of these courses that are similar to the one you’re about to take. See more about PLC here.
There are different types of PLC and you’re supposed to know most of them. Here are some of those who are the most valuable and those which the course is supposed to teach you how to create and handle them perfectly:
- RSlogix 5000
- Studio 5000
- RSlinx
- RSlogix 5000 Emulator
- Studio 5000 Emulator
How’s their score?
Before you make your choice of which course you should take, you need to take a look at some points that will tell if it is worth spending your money and your time.
For this, it’s best to look at a few of them online and check their web pages. There, you’ll find a portfolio with their greatest achievements. Everyone likes to point out that their clients were happy, so you’ll surely find something like this. Of course, if there are happy clients. If there aren’t then maybe you should skip that offer and go to another one.
Another great way to find out if someone’s fit for your needs is to see if their students gave a positive review of their lectures. In other words, did they understand what the mentor was talking about? If you see more negative ones that means you can probably find a better one. If you see only positive reviews, then this is probably the best place to spend your time and money.
Take a look at the comments too. They can be highly valuable for understanding who you’re going to share in the next couple of weeks. If you see comments that say some things that you don’t like about the instructor, then maybe it’s better to find another one. If the comments show you that there’s nothing to be worried about, then you can take a test drive yourself and see if you like what you hear.
Some pages on the internet also rank courses and instructors, so you might take a look at them too. Their ranking might not be the most valuable for you, but it can still show you what other people think about the options. Also, you can see if you missed some of them while you were searching online.
Length and level of the course
If you don’t know absolutely anything about PLC then it’s clear that you need to look for courses who are beginners. If you already have certain knowledge, then why wasting time on things you already know? Go straight to advanced levels.
At this part, it’s good to say that it is important to mind the timeframe of the entire class. If you don’t have too much time to spend on this, try to find one that is not going to last forever. Some classes literally take entire days of your life if you try to listen to everything at once.
Conclusion
All these things show you how and why you should dive into the PLC waters. The future is clearly going to be robotized, so it’s best to be behind the remote control instead of on the line where your job will be jeopardized.
Start learning now and by the time you need this skill, you can have an option whether you’re going to fight for your spot in the company or simply quit and look for another job knowing that you’re skilled for something that has a high demand on the market.
