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Automation Evangelist asks: Are you certifiable?

A leading consultant says automation pros are under-appreciated, and makes a compelling case for nascent certification programs.

The Automation Competency Model
The Automation Competency Model

Attendees of the 2012 Automation Conference witnessed a rallying cry to boost the visibility of their profession, delivered by Dean Ford of Glenmount Global Solutions, in the packaging session, "Trends in Packaging Automation Applications."

Ford, vice-president, of automation and information solutions for the Austin, Texas-based controls, automation, energy management, and information technology integrator and consultancy, called automation an "unknown profession" despite its pervasive nature in the industrial economy. He cited three reasons this may be the case:

  • Practicing automation professionals primarily come into the field "by accident."
  • Many are approaching retirement age and the workforce cannot replace them, and
  • Other than technical college programs, there are few direct paths to this profession.

Ford characterized automation as "the first green profession, a field whose origins are steeped in energy savings and efficiency across fields such as electricity; sewer and water; transportation and all forms of industrial production. Still, awareness of automation and all its complexities remains low even as sustainability has risen to prominence from the board room to the world's financial exchanges. His advice to engineers? Keep a "laser focus" on technologies that offer energy conservation, reduction and cost-saving benefits. 

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