Specialties and career as an automation technician
From automation technician to automation technician and elevator technician
The Automation and Process education is structured so you can graduate at different levels and with different specialties depending on your interests and your training agreement. This provides multiple paths into a trade found in virtually all modern industry and building technology.
§Steps and specialties
The education can be completed as an automation fitter at the first level, or you can go further and specialize. The specializations cover different aspects of automation—from small installations to large, fully automatic production plants, and from industry to elevator and escalator installations.
| Specialty / level | What it's about |
|---|---|
| Automation Fitter | Assembly, troubleshooting and repair of less automated machines and systems; PLC controls, motors and pneumatic/hydraulic circuits |
| Automation Technician | Larger and more complex, fully automated systems; installation, programming, commissioning, maintenance and improvement |
| Automation Technician in the Electrical Trade | Systematic and condition-based maintenance as well as assembly and commissioning of less automated systems |
| Elevator technician. | Setup, assembly, maintenance and troubleshooting of elevators, escalators and moving walkways with a focus on safety |
| Automation Technician | The highest level with even more advanced automation and control |
§Industries and workplaces
- 01Industrial and production companies with automatic systems
- 02Process industry such as food, chemicals and energy
- 03Companies that build and supply machines and systems
- 04Service and maintenance companies
- 05Elevator and transport systems in buildings.
§EUX and further education
Several of the specialties can be taken as EUX where you get both journeyman certificate and a high school exam. This gives access to further education if you want to study further later — for example to become an engineer or other technical education. Even without EUX you can retrain and specialize further through your working life.
§A trade with a future
Automation will become even more common. Industry is automating more processes, robots are taking on more tasks, and systems are becoming more connected and data-driven. This means stable demand for technicians who can build, program, troubleshoot and maintain the systems. The one who continues to learn and keep up with technology has a trade with solid future prospects.
“The more the machines control themselves, the more use there is for those who understand how to make them do it – and how to get them going again when they stop.”