Career Advice Plz

Hi all, I am in need of some advice relating to studying PLC's and Scada (Citect)etc. I'm currently an Electrical contractor doing some industrial, commercial and domestic work. I have had the opportunity to learn the basics of Allen bradley PLC's and software in the past and am constantly trying to learn as much as I can in my spare time. I have come to a decision that i would like to do some study so as i can make a career change into this field if possible. I have been looking over courses and there does not seem to be much related to these fields. I would love to hear from a few of you guys how you got started in you fields and if anyone made the transition from Electrician to PLC programmer/systems intergrater. Also any suggestions for any UNI/Tafe courses you may recommend.

Electrician definitely can become good PLC Scada SI. Working with Citect is very easy with lot of samples and help . As you already have knowledge about AB PLC you can switchover to this field. I dont know about your place ,but here in India PLC SCADA field is too crowded.

Thanks for the replay. From my experience there is a shortage of PLC/SCADA experts outside of the capital cities in Australia. Unfortunately living in these areas myself there is also shortage of opportunity to learn these skills. Are most PLC/SCADA workers self taught?? I was of thinking enrolling in an bachelor of computing (Information systems) and building on that with some industry courses and going from there.

For learning PLC and SCADA programming 1 month training is enough, if you want certification then only bachelor of computing (Information systems) will be required. You can very well take on small to medium(200 IOs ) projects with this training.
Well,
regards.

For learning PLC and SCADA programming 1 month training is enough

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You've gotta be kidding. I've been in the business for 20 years and am still learning! 1 month won't qualify you to work for me...

No wonder the field is too crowded in India.

Greetings Jayden ...

here (below) is an idea that I typed up awhile ago for my website that you might be interested in ... the key words to keep in mind are "motivation" and "time available" ...

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The following free friendly advice is offered for anyone who is genuinely motivated to become a PLC programmer:

(1) Join one of the two public PLC forums that are mentioned on the "Links to PLC Resources" page of my website. (Note that I have no financial connection with any of the resources that are listed.) Membership in either forum is free and can be anonymous if you wish.

(2) Click here to read a pertinent forum thread – and pay particular attention to the "self help plan" that I outlined in Post #7.

Notice that this is a suggested course of action for anyone who wants to gain PLC programming skills – at ZERO cost. The main idea is that the forum members make up a very helpful community of PLC professionals (and students) and they are more than willing to help anyone who is genuinely motivated to learn the trade. Next click here and skim through a "follow up" thread to get an idea of the level of free help and advice that can be expected from the forum members. The scope of the project involved in that thread might be beyond what a beginner might expect to accomplish – but the generous amount of free help which was provided by the forum members is the main point that I'd like to make.

(3) Pick a suitable programming project – and then regularly post your "work in progress" and any questions that you might have on the forum. Ideally the project would be specific to the actual systems that you will eventually be programming. Starting and maintaining a single forum thread would be best. The forum members (myself included) will be more than happy to help with free advice and critiques as your project proceeds.

Besides being free of cost, the main advantage to the approach that I've just outlined is that it could be done completely over the internet and at your own pace. On the other hand, one significant disadvantage is that there will be no opportunity for any face-to-face interaction between the student and the instructors (the forum members.) Even so, if you're suitably motivated, the lack of in-person instruction can probably be overcome by devoting enough time and energy to the project. Only hindsight will tell whether any ultimate benefit from this type of training will be worth the amount of time and effort required.

Naturally the same "time vs. benefit" argument could also be made against any other type of online training. The only real differences would be in the (often significant) amount of money involved – and in how well the online instructor's choice of a programming assignment would match the real-world job requirements that you will eventually face. Any internet search will turn up innumerable online programming courses advertising final objectives such as: "The student will be able to recognize ..." – or - "The student will be able to discuss ..." and so on. The course objectives seldom (if ever) mention any concrete skills which would be useful in actually writing a PLC program – and it's extremely rare to find any type of guarantee that the course will actually satisfy the student's job requirements.

We hope that the advice offered above is helpful, and we wish you the greatest success in the future.

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actually the SCADA skills that you mentioned could certainly be tied right into this approach ...

I'm completely self-taught. I was an electrical troubleshooter and became proficient at troubleshooting relay logic. I started building my own relay logic panels. PLC's were a part of my job and they just sat on top of relay logic. Pick up a laptop and plug in, and there is the circuit. Wow - this is much better, now when I want to change how a machine operates I just type on a keyboard instead of rewiring relays. Plus I have math!

It is important to understand the relationship between man and machine. When on the plant floor you need to know what to look for to make the machine work. It's really just common sense and sometimes a seat of the pants thing. This should not be underestimated - its what makes your work a success or a failure.

An important part of a PLC programmer's job is the ability to take charge and run the show. Others may dictate how they want the machine to operate but it is the programmers job to put the brakes on, to control the startup. It pays to have confidence but you must have the ability to back it up.

Start with small things and work your way up.

Self-motivation is crucial. You must want it. Spend the time with the hardware - to this day I still hook up a PLC and test my programs online while I write them. When I make online changes in development, they will be second-nature on the plant floor. The testing I do during development makes me prepared when I reach the plant floor.

As Grandma Linn would say: ONWARD!

Thanks for the replies guys. I think you have given me some insight into what I need to do. Looks like I am on the right track with the Self teaching. Ron, your advice was very helpfull and I have certainly taken it onboard. I do some work for a local cheese factory who have a few different PLC's, touchscreens and panelviews etc. Unfortunately they are all different brands (SLC500, Micrologix, Omron, Mitsubishi, S&S) all installed before my time there. Looks like I have some work ahead to be familiar with this plant! Fortunately for me the Factory does not have any SCADA system in place and this may be a great opportunity for me to learn as I go on a real project as long as I can convince them to cough up some money for some parts. Again thanks for the help. Hopefully someday I may be able to answer some questions instead of asking them all!