While four-year degrees in electrical, chemical or mechanical engineering remain minimum requirements for many process control and automation positions and two-year associate degrees or similar certificates are typically needed for operator and technician roles, these qualifications don’t guarantee success or long-term effectiveness working with real-world production processes on the plant floor.

“After 35 years in the engineering and system integration business, we’ve learned that many people with engineering degrees can’t cut it working with controls,” says Sam Hoff, president and CEO of Patti Engineering in Auburn Hills, Mich., a certified member of the Control System Integrators Association. “It isn’t brain surgery, but it does require strong problem-solving and logical thinking. Traditional, academic education is valuable, but I’ve known many great controls engineers who didn’t have degrees.”

However, because control, automation and related technologies are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected, Hoff cautions that engineers and operators need to become masters of some skills rather than jacks-of-all-trades. 

“Because control software and hardware are more interdependent now, we also rely on our colleagues and partners more than in the past,” explains Hoff. “Likewise, if a proposed strategy, design or practice goes too far outside practical boundaries, we depend on them to speak up, so we can let our clients know. This is especially important because the boundaries of our expertise—and what’s technically feasible—are shifting faster and more often than ever.”

Virtual tools must reflect reality

Beyond internal checks and balances, Hoff says his team increasingly uses simulations and virtual commissioning to accelerate projects. 

“It’s OK to have pretty models, but we need simulations with accurate kinetics to reflect the physical operations we’re dealing with,” says Hoff. “We also need more personnel with the skills to use these simulations, so it doesn’t matter as much whether their original engineering background was mechanical, electrical or chemical. No matter what, everyone will be doing more coding and programming.”

Hoff adds that system integrators and their clients can’t afford to fear artificial intelligence (AI). 

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“We need to use AI as a tool and keep humans in the loop because too much reliance on AI can make you stupid,” says Hoff. “The question is: will we use AI in ways that make us smarter or more stupid? Years ago, we looked up facts in encyclopedias. More recently, all our information was right at our fingertips on the Internet. Now, AI can process that information even faster. However, it’s not as good at proofreading and verification, and it leaves us with a lot of hallucinations that we have to sort through and validate. Recently, we video interviewed a candidate, and we could tell when they were using AI to generate responses. Their eyes looked away, they delayed answering, and many of their replies sounded canned and clichéd.”

Willingness is the way

Hoff reports that Patti Engineering’s problem-solving ethos leads the company to favor candidates, new hires and colleagues with varied backgrounds and outside interests.

“We love people who’ve worked on cars, are PC gamers, played with Legos, been on their high school robotics teams, or had different kinds of internships. All these experiences have the potential to produce great engineers,” adds Hoff. “Plus, whatever degrees they have, and whatever initial training they receive, they can all benefit from additional, continuous, online education tailored to what they need to know next.”

Hoff notes that Patti Engineering builds in substantial hands-on work during new staffers’ first two to three months, including demonstration projects alongside senior employees. The same approach applies to veteran employees expanding into new areas such as AI or simulations.

“The common thread for success—whether for rookies or veterans—is a willingness to learn,” concludes Hoff. “When we started this company 35 years ago, we traveled 130-180 days per year. It’s a lot less now thanks to virtual commissioning and simulations, but we still must work hard at preventing burnout by regularly checking in with team members, and allowing comp time or breaks between projects. Many engineers work long hours, but we’ve seen too many young engineers burn out by age 30 and seek other jobs with less travel or stress. Millennials and Gen Z want better work/life balance. They work to live, rather than live to work, and that’s a good lesson for everyone.”