Why is it so Difficult to Find Industrial Automation Engineers?
Control System Integrators will agree that even after many years of government efforts to improve interest in STEM, sourcing candidates for automation roles remains a massive challenge in 2024.
Competition for candidates, a shrinking talent pool, and low university interest all present challenges for control system integrators, who rely on the talent of their workforce as the raw input to drive their operations and deliver projects for end-users.
Increasing industry demands to implement Digital Transformation, IO/IT convergence, and advanced applications of Industry 4.0 have further fueled talent global shortage of industrial automation professionals.
This article explores some of the profession’s unique challenges for talent development and examines strategies that employers can use to find and hire candidates effectively.
Soaring Industry Demand for Automation Professionals
It is well-quoted that the global industrial automation market is expected to reach USD 412.8 billion by 2030, with a growth rate approaching 10% (CAGR).
So, how does this translate to demand for candidates?
We conducted a search on Indeed USA, the largest online job board, to find job vacancies for common engineering professions and compared the results with Control Systems Engineer vacancies. The search yielded the following results:
- Mechanical Engineer – 13,000+ vacancies
- Electrical Engineer – 24,000+ vacancies
- Chemical Engineer – 4,000+ vacancies
- Control Systems Engineer – 48,000+ vacancies
The search results indicate a significant difference in the demand for Control Systems Engineers compared to other engineering fields. This raises the question of how control system integrators can compete for candidates.
While using search results figures from Indeed is undoubtedly not a robust method of analyzing the job market, it nonetheless indicates strong demand.
This saturated job market poses a challenge for small and medium-sized control system integrators, who have limited time and budget for recruitment campaigns.
In addition to strong demand, the global talent pool of skilled industrial automation professionals is very small.
Small Global Talent Pool of Industrial Automation
Industrial Automation has a complex and diverse range of skill sets, drawing from academic disciplines like applied physics and control theory and non-academic technical skills like PLC programming, which are more associated with trade school.
The unique combination of skills acquired through academic study and industry training contributes to the discipline’s struggle for recognition as a distinct profession alongside other traditional engineering professions.
In addition, several factors inherent to the profession constrain the growth and development of the global automation workforce, such as proprietary technologies, skills obsolescence, and the long learning curve imposed on graduates by working with mission-critical systems.
Why is the global talent pool of industrial automation so small?
Industrial Automation Discipline Has Poor Branding
As a relatively young profession, Industrial Automation has struggled to establish its own identity among the classical engineering institutions.
Many automation engineers can relate to the awkward conversation they have when asked about their line of work during social events with friends and family.
Simply saying, “I’m an automation engineer” will typically go over most people’s heads, prompting us to make feeble attempts to describe the profession, with varying levels of success.
Another example highlighting the lack of recognition for the automation profession can be found by searching O*NET, a database of occupation titles from the U.S. Department of Labour.
Surprisingly, this search yields no entry for occupations such as Automation Engineer, Control Systems Engineer, or Instrument Engineer. However, Electrical, Process, and Mechanical engineering have distinct occupational designations recorded in the database.
This lack of identity is very different from the reality encountered on the ground within end-user facilities and the departments of engineering contractors. Here, the automation discipline is recognized as a separate entity and positioned alongside process, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
While the emergence of magazines and industry publications has significantly promoted the discipline, ongoing efforts are necessary to help boost public recognition and understanding of automation’s role in modern industry and attract new entrants.
Low Uptake in Universities of Automation-Related Subjects
University subjects and majors linked to Industrial Automation, such as applied physics, mechatronics, and control theory, have experienced a decline in popularity.
Although the popularity of STEM subjects is rising, students are increasingly attracted to emerging fields like Data Science and AI, which tend to have greater appeal.
Of the 141,826 bachelor engineering degrees awarded in the USA in 2023, only 6000 were in the “Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems.” The number of mechanical and computer science degrees was 32,000 and 24,000, respectively.
Skills Obsolescence
Intense global competition and environmental concerns have driven industries to demand more efficient, lean, and sustainable production from their technology providers.
Industrial Automation suppliers and integrators are at the forefront of this demand, tasked with delivering technologies that will bring industries into a new era of clean, sustainable production.
The emergence of Digital Transformation and the widespread application of Industry 4.0 has rapidly advanced automation technology.
Over the past 15 years, there have been significant leaps in automation technology, such as ICS virtualization, Edge Computing, Programmable I/O, and increased convergence of IT/ OT networks.
One characteristic of modern automation is the massive increase in available data from the shop floor level. This data offers limitless opportunities to create actionable insights to improve efficiency and production.
Digital twins, Edge Computing, and AI-powered predictive maintenance are just some of the advanced applications of Industry 4.0 that are leveraging this new source of data with the integration of IoT.
However, technological advancements require equal advances in workforce training to prevent skill decay and obsolescence.
As custodians of shop floor ICS, Automation Engineers are at the forefront of implementing new technologies. The emerging requirement to work with “big data” may push many engineers beyond their traditional domain of expertise.
There remains a big question: is the global industrial automation workforce agile enough and do they have sufficient access to training in order to adapt to rapid advances in automation technology?
Unfortunately, many engineers who aren’t positioned at the forefront of the industry and lack direct access to training may witness their skill sets becoming obsolete, potentially limiting their employment prospects.
Gated Technology and Siloed Workforce Competency
Despite the emergence of initiatives for open technologies such as Open Process Automation™ Forum (OPAF), there remains a substantial amount of proprietary automation technology in the field today.
This is especially prevalent with major suppliers of Distributed Control Systems (DCS).
Automation professionals who do not work directly for suppliers of proprietary automation technology often struggle to gain exposure and training with such technology.
This has the effect of siloing competency and knowledge in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) across the global automation workforce.
Due to this siloing effect, end-users who desire to have automation professionals integrated into their plant operations teams face significant challenges in finding candidates who are skilled and competent in their specific ICS installation.
Consequently, end-users are forced into costly service contracts with major automation suppliers, as these companies retain control over the available competencies for their install base.
Talent Monopolies and Job hoarding
The issue of proprietary technologies is worsened by a phenomenon called “job hoarding.” This occurs when large automation suppliers hold onto a significant portion of their engineering workforce even when there is not much work to be done.
Although this practice aims to maintain a stable workforce, it also makes it difficult for talented individuals to move to other organizations.
The scarcity of automation professionals, as well as the long training process, can also encourage employers to engage in this practice.
In addition, many employees in large automation suppliers have contracts that include training reimbursement clauses, preventing them from leaving the company for a specified period.
This is another mechanism to prevent talent from flowing into the global workforce.
The Process of Learning Industrial Automation is Inherently Lengthy
System Integrators agree that hands-on industry experience is paramount and one of the most desirable attributes sought in new recruits.
Service managers need competent individuals who can be mobilized to a client site and undertake modifications, and updates with minimal support and supervision.
Consequently, the experience of working on live control systems in a real operating environments is generally valued above all else.
However, graduates and interns are often allowed little access to live control systems due to the risk of commercial loss to the end-user caused by accidental plant stoppage.
Working in a profession that deals predominantly with high-value, mission-critical systems imposes limitations on the rate of competency development.
This issue serves to prolong the learning curve of graduate engineers from progressing to become competent automation professionals who can work autonomously on live systems and contributes as another factor constraining the global talent pool.
How Can You Mitigate the Impact of the Global Talent Shortage of Industrial Automation Engineers?
- Social Media Engagement
- Target Candidate Search
- Consider Transferable Skill sets and Learning Agility
- Shortening the Learning Curve with Simulation Systems
Social Media Engagement
System integrators and other employers should promote their companies’ activities by engaging with social media.
Encouraging your employees to make guest posts on industry publications blog sites and LinkedIn is an excellent way to showcase your company’s activities and brand.
This is particularly important because you will be putting your company brand in front of passive candidates who may be tempted away from their current role if they are impressed by your company’s content.
Targeted Candidate Search
Instead of relying on generalist job boards, employers should consider promoting vacancies through dedicated industry job boards, LinkedIn posts, and by seeking out candidate referrals.
This can mean seeking out industry professionals on LinkedIn to look for referrals and posting on niche job boards that cater to specific industry verticals or disciplines.
These channels tend to provide a more engaged and focused audience of automation professionals.
In addition, these methods are more likely to attract the attention of passive job seekers, i.e., those who are not actively looking but could be tempted to leave if a large enough carrot is placed in front of them.
While this “hands-on” approach may require more work than blasting your job description to millions of people on Indeed, you will be tapping into a more focused, higher-quality candidate funnel.
Consider Transferable Skills and Learning Agility
When drafting a job description, avoid a rigid checklist of skills and experience. Instead, take a more flexible approach, one that considers candidates with transferable skill sets and a capacity for learning.
For example, if an applicant lacks experience with a particular PLC brand, consider their broader industry experience.
They may bring valuable skills and industry experience such as facility experience and end-user specification familiarity.
The widespread adoption of IEC61131-3 by leading ICS suppliers facilitates engineers transitioning between technologies.
In addition to transferable skills, it’s essential to consider “transferable roles.” For example, engineers with previous experience in commissioning can offer valuable insights to detail engineering teams.
Their hands-on knowledge and lessons learned in the field can significantly enhance the team’s capabilities, even if they require time to familiarise themselves with engineering workflows.
Shortening the Learning Curve – Build Simulation Systems
Using simulation technologies to replicate industrial plants can significantly shorten the learning curve for graduate engineers.
Simulators, where engineers can carry out real-world scenarios, are a fundamental learning tool.
Recent advancements in developing Operator Training Systems (OTS) based on digital twins have significantly enhanced simulation capabilities by accurately replicating process variables.
While initially designed for training operators before the start-up of new plants, there is substantial potential for automation engineers to utilize this technology as a training environment.
This can allow new engineers to walk through future planned modifications and become familiar with the system and their management of change workflows.
The availability of simulation technology used in conjunction with a well-developed internal training system and mentorship will significantly enhance the rate of competency development.
System integrators should prioritize investing in appropriate training technologies and systems that can accurately replicate real-world environments to help sustain a positive trajectory for their workforce’s talent pool.
Conclusion
Finding skilled candidates for automation roles remains a challenge for Control System Integrators.
Factors such as strong demand, limited talent pools, and low university interest compound the issue further.
Practical strategies for employers include social media engagement, targeted candidate searches, being more flexible in applicant screening, and considering transferable skills.
Investing in simulation systems and developing a systematic training approach can help accelerate competency development in their workforce.