Schneider launches UK and Ireland training programme
30 July 2024 
Schneider Electric has launched a training programme for the UK and Ireland (UK&I) in response to the engineering skills shortage. It will cover everything from the automation of machinery and equipment, to AI, safety standards and regulations.
Schneider Electric Training will give customers, partners and engineers access to an array of training options and resources, as well as professional accreditations. It will be delivered via specialist academies for in-person courses, or via a “digital campus” for on-demand CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses via the mySchneider portal.
Two academies are already up and running, with three more due to be launched by the end of the year.
- The Automation Academy in Coventry covers Schneider’s automation portfolio. It takes students from basic product understanding through to advanced programming of both current and legacy technologies, including PLCs, variable-speed drives, HMIs, motion controls and robotics.
- The Safety Academy in Telford will offer courses to ensure the safe operation of electrical equipment and site safety, including Competent Person certification and City & Guilds assured Authorised Person training.
“Organisations are becoming more dependent on their electrical backbone to support operations, digital transformation, automation, and manufacturing,” says David Pownall, vice-president of services at Schneider Electric, UK&I. “Electrical engineers and their specialist expertise are critical to the installation, safety and maintenance of this electrical infrastructure. There is an urgent need to build skills to embrace new technologies, drive modernisation, improve performance, reduce downtime and comply with changing safety regulations.
“Not only that, but training is critical to career enhancement and a key foundation of a positive employee experience, attracting and retaining people when we’re facing a significant skills gap crisis,” he adds. “Smarter engineers, equipped with the skills needed today and a clear development path to build expertise for the future, make for smarter businesses.”
