UK Process Industries Embrace On-line Learning

Phil Black - PII Editor 30/06/2009

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Emerson’s PlantWeb® University now has 1200 registered UK users representing 700 companies

It has been widely acknowledged that UK industry is experiencing a knowledge gap as an ageing workforce retires and the younger generation hasn’t yet developed the skills and the knowledge needed to effectively replace them. The current economic climate also means that training budgets are being closely monitored. Many companies in the UK are now turning to on-line, or e-learning training resources to fill that gap.

This decision is supported by the Learning and Skills Council of England, who acknowledged in a 2007 report by their Distributed and Electronic Learning Group, that “e-learning should be seen as a developing and increasingly useful addition to the existing repertoire of learning and teaching provision at post-16 levels.”

The widespread installation of broadband has enabled people to take courses remotely either, at work or at home, at their own pace and in their own time. Specifically within the process industries, free on-line training resources such as Emerson Process Management’s PlantWeb® University have come to the fore, particularly because of their focussed content and vendor neutrality.

With 1200 registered UK users, representing 700 companies and institutions, many people are taking advantage of this kind of practical, real-world information. Devoid of marketing hype, these courses give practical insights into the application of new technologies. Each course takes only a few minutes to complete and an optional quiz lets the user review what they’ve learned.

With an engineering school, and a business school as well as a library of resources, PlantWeb University is a useful tool to aid personal development and understanding. The engineering school covers such subjects as FOUNDATION™ fieldbus, choosing the right fieldbus, safety instrumented systems and wireless technologies. The business school offers courses in improving plant efficiency, improving profitability and reducing maintenance costs.

For more in-depth training, Emerson offers a broad spectrum of online courses on hardware, software, devices, communication protocols, process control theory and industry-specific knowledge. These courses are intended for those who need to develop a more in depth understanding of today”s cutting edge concepts in process optimisation. From coursework on specifics of the PlantWeb digital plant architecture, to process control design and implementation, Emerson’s certified instructors deliver the best in plant optimisation training.

PlantWeb University can be accessed at www.PlantWebUniversity.com
For details on Emerson’s training in the UK visit www.EmersonProcess.co.uk/training