Strategic automation engineering professional workforce planning requires developing the necessary talent to meet current needs and future personnel demands. The need to attract and introduce new young professionals to the automation discipline and to cultivate the pipeline for the future workforce has never been greater.
Learning Objectives
- Understand that having diverse background for automation engineers are a necessity and a strength of the discipline.
- Learn that there’s a need to advertise automation as a career path to students and young professionals.
- Demonstrate the importance of creating mentorships among entry-, mid-, and senior-level staff that help guide career development.
Building automation professionals’ insights
- Diverse background and experience of automation engineers are a necessity and a strength of the discipline.
- There’s a need to advertise automation as a career path to students and young professionals.
- It’s important to create mentorships among entry-, mid-, and senior-level staff that help guide career development.
The complexity of technologies for industrial control systems is increasing, and operators are becoming more reliant on these systems to efficiently monitor and control the related processes. Securing these industrial control systems in the cyber world also is becoming more challenging and time-consuming. Due to the expanding scope of their work, the technical skills of automation engineers are in higher demand than ever. However, the methods firms use to recruit, train and retain automation engineers are not evolving as quickly as the demand.
One strategy is to create three distinct pathways to becoming an automation professional from the perspectives of an entry-, mid- and senior-level engineer. Data from a recent survey of automation engineers details how they entered the workforce and their suggestions for developing the future automation workforce.
Meet an entry-level automation engineer, Amal Khan
In my final semester of pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, I enrolled in a course called Process Dynamics and Controls. This class departed from my usual curriculum, as it focused specifically on a control system’s basic design, methodology and implementation. It significantly shifted my perspective on my chemical engineering degree and the broader field of process and plant design. In traditional classes, the process is assumed to behave at steady state and changes in the process result in a new steady state. However, in process controls, the dynamics of the process’ transition from steady state to transient state were heavily analyzed. This approach introduces more realistic scenarios, requiring students to balance the roles of engineer and operator for the first time.
As I began applying for jobs in instrumentation and controls engineering, I noticed employers primarily sought candidates with backgrounds in electrical or mechanical engineering. However, now, as a junior automation engineer, I see how interdisciplinary the automation field truly is. Entering the field of automation engineering, I was met with a landscape that was expansive, challenging, yet incredibly rewarding.
My initial field training (Figure 1) focused on foundational concepts such as understanding piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), input/output (I/O), interlocks, human-machine interface (HMI) graphics, writing specifications and reviewing submittals. Navigating the realm of automation felt like diving into a sea of diverse knowledge, making it a challenge to even take the initial plunge. Fortunately, mentors have played an invaluable role in helping me unravel its complexities and grasp an intricate web of concepts.
Mentorship emerged as a crucial pillar of support during my journey in automation engineering. Learning from experienced mentors and peers has provided invaluable insights into different career paths and possibilities within the field. While I’m still uncertain about the exact trajectory of my career, I’m enthusiastic about the opportunities for growth and development ahead.
Automation engineering offers a dynamic and ever-evolving environment, where the pursuit of knowledge is not just encouraged but necessary for success. I look forward to embracing the exciting opportunities that await in this constantly evolving field.
Meet a mid-level automation engineer, Giselle Villar
My automation journey began six years ago, fresh out of college with a degree in Engineering Science and Mechanics. During my studies, there was one mechanics lab that taught what I would later understand to be automation through basic function-block programming using a programmable circuit board. It was such a small portion of my education, and none of my instructors took the time to explain automation as a potential career path. Consequently, I nearly forgot about it until I found myself in an interview for an automation position almost three years later.
During that interview, two automation engineers provided me with my first real introduction into and appreciation for automation. What enticed me was the extreme variety of the work; I would be doing design and programming, be in the office and the field, collaborate with small and large project groups and no project would ever require the same solution. The automation discipline is the perfect place to satisfy an engineer’s innate desire to solve problems.
Throughout my career, I’ve found several exceptional mentors. Half these mentorships developed through our company’s structured mentoring program, while the other half are with teammates who volunteer time and effort to help me, and other young automation engineers, succeed. These are the people who turn project work into learning opportunities.
In college, there’s an expectation that your employer will teach everything you need to know for your role. However, I quickly realized that this wasn’t always the case upon entering the workforce. Instead, I found that my most memorable and effective training occurred not through coursework, but through hands-on experience in the field. Just two days into my job, I found myself immersed in the startup of a new plant alongside the local team, and that’s where I found myself nearly every day for the next several months.
Seeing the “end product” clarifies prior work. Because of that experience, I have a better understanding of different design decisions and how the reality of things don’t always align with how you think something should be done. I highly encourage all junior staff to get field experience as early as possible (Figure 2 shows Giselle Villar’s mentee), but know firsthand that it can like drinking from a fire hose without formal education on instrumentation or controls in school.
Recently, I have transitioned into a role between mentor and mentee. With my own mentors, there has been a shift toward partnership and increased independence. Being just outside the comfort zone helps mid-level engineers develop the technical and interpersonal skills needed for automation. I actively work with junior engineers to identify areas of improvement in their technical and professional training and connect them with people and resources within the firm so they can build a fulfilling career path. It’s crucial to involve junior staff in meaningful tasks from the outset, as they may lack experience but are eager to contribute and grow.
Meet a senior-level automation engineer, Padraic Gray
My first job out of college introduced me to the world of industrial controls. I was hired as a commissioning field engineer for an industrial equipment manufacturer. Much of the equipment I encountered was hydraulically operated with a complex network of actuators, motors, pistons and proportionally controlled pumps. Although my mechanical engineering degree was intended to be used for learning the hydraulic power components of the equipment and ultimately working in the research, design and manufacturing, it was the automation aspect of the equipment that captivated me. Coincidentally, the company had a need to fill. Controls were kept at a theoretical level during my education in a couple controls-related classes. Seeing the magic of a controls system work firsthand got me hooked into wanting to learn more and do more. (Figure 3: Padraic Gray is one of Giselle Villar’s mentors.)
During my commissioning activities, I extensively collaborated with the automation group within the company. My first exposure to working on the controls systems involved learning how to make small changes to the equipment’s programmable controller and graphic display. However, my involvement with controls deepened unexpectedly when I found myself required to interface with a plant control system at one of the sites I was working on. As the sole engineer on-site with an anxious customer awaiting results, I learned on the fly to make the system operational.
In many ways, I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time for finding an opportunity as a controls engineer. First and foremost, I had a strong mentor that was able and willing to teach me the basics. Additionally, due to the urgent need to fill the position and the scarcity of suitable candidates, the company agreed to provide me with advanced training and the opportunity to grow into the role. Automation became my chosen discipline more by chance than by design.
Survey results: More than 100 automation engineers
To gain insight into the pathways individuals take to enter the automation career field, we conducted a survey involving over 100 automation engineers at various stages of their careers, with an average of 20 years of experience in automation. The survey results reveal that our stories are not unique. The survey data and comments illustrate what has worked well for the participants in their careers and what they felt could be improved.
Notably, fewer than half the respondents were aware of a career in automation or pursued a curriculum focused on automation during their college education. Instead, most engineers were introduced to the automation field through career fairs or job search opportunities, rather than actively seeking out positions in automation. Many professionals transitioned into automation after gaining experience in process engineering, environmental engineering and other related fields, where they had opportunities to collaborate with automation engineers. Figure 4 illustrates the experience levels of the surveyed automation engineers, within the automation industry and elsewhere.
Background diversity helps automation engineers
The wide variety of educational backgrounds among our surveyed automation engineers underscores the strength of diversity within the profession. Each discipline brings valuable insights and skills to the table, enriching the field of automation engineering in unique ways. Among findings:
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Electrical engineering is relevant in automation engineering as motor, signal and wiring knowledge is crucial for interfacing between equipment.
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Mechanical engineering details how the equipment parts work individually and how the components move and behave.
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Computer science and information technology encompasses the behavior of a network, including switches, routers and firewalls.
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Chemical engineering describes the process and aids with plant-wide optimization.
Each background and career path contributes to creating a secure automation system and shows the interconnectedness and vast range of automation engineering knowledge. This diversity of knowledge is perfectly captured in the backgrounds of the automation engineers at CDM Smith, as Figure 5 shows.
Although electrical engineering is the most common undergraduate degree, it represents less than 25% of surveyed degrees. Mechanical and chemical engineering follow closely behind. However, no one degree major stands out as required to become an automation engineer. Most required knowledge and training are gained through field experience and guidance from experienced mentors.
Practical experience gained from on-site construction and process startup is considered the most valuable method for developing automation skills. Survey participants were asked about the balance between field and formal training, revealing that a median of 86% of training occurs in the field.
Automation engineers: 86% of training is in the field
Observing real-world design successes, failures and improvements enhances an engineer’s understanding. Additionally, a strong foundation in basic electronics and networks is crucial for design work. Interpersonal and technical leadership skills were the next most valued. Effective communication and collaboration across disciplines are crucial as automation does not operate in a silo and being able to communicate with and understand client needs is essential. Staying updated on new technologies such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) and virtualization is vital.
Suggestions for improvements from the survey results include the development of more hands-on training programs to benefit junior engineers. Mentorship for new engineers and early exposure to control system components, instrumentation and software were frequently highlighted. Additionally, relevant formal training covering safety, instrument applications, and cybersecurity were mentioned as enhancing an automation engineer’s skill set. There is also a desire for more automation courses and programs at the college level.
Promote automation as an engineering career path
The narrative of our collective introduction to the automation field isn’t unique; it’s a story that has played out repeatedly throughout our careers. This journey is worth discussing because our experiences closely mirror those of most junior control engineers entering the field today. Promoting automation as a career path for young engineers is crucial for recruitment. Raising awareness will generate more interest among candidates and better prepare them for entering the workforce.
Mid-level and senior controls engineers play a vital role in providing strong mentorship, which has a lasting impact on the careers of junior engineers. Sometimes, the significance of this mentorship isn’t immediately apparent but becomes evident over time. It’s our collective responsibility within the industry to serve as mentors, providing training, guidance and valuable exposure to young engineers in a welcoming environment. This approach is essential for attracting and retaining new talent in the profession.
Padraic Gray, senior automation engineer and automation discipline leader; Amal Khan, automation engineer with an interest in control theory; Giselle Villar, automation engineer with interests in young professional development, all with CDM Smith. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, [email protected].
KEYWORDS: Workforce development, automation engineering
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