January 17, 2019 -- Emerson introduced the Performance Learning Platform , a portable automation technology training solution that enables hands-on training to prepare workers to maintain their plant safely and efficiently. The platform reinforces the competencies essential to fostering digital transformation and is intended to help close the workforce skills gap as the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) era continues to change the way manufacturing and process companies do business.
Emerson’s collaboration with both private industry and higher education has revealed a need to address the skills gap in digital automation technologies and how it can impact an organization’s operations. According to a 2018 Manufacturing Institute study on “The skills gap and the future of work in manufacturing,” the skills gap may leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028.
The Performance Learning Platform can help a new generation of workers become adept at applying, using and maintaining digital automation technologies. It provides process control and instrumentation simulation to train or refresh current workers on how to monitor and control complex operations involving pressure, flow, level and final control valves.
Colleges can use the platform to give students firsthand experience on an actual plant-like process. Ranken Technical College has worked closely with Emerson to develop and utilize the Performance Learning Platform for developing the skills Ranken students need now in the workforce.
The Performance Learning Platform features a complete working control loop piping system, tanks, pumps and a fully scalable suite of Emerson instrumentation and final control valves linked to a DeltaV distributed control system. Each unit ships with an integrated video library that provides step-by-step instruction in a range of realistic scenarios, allowing users to learn and experiment without on-the-job training. A lab workbook and supporting eLearning courses are also available.
Built on a steel frame with casters and able to fit through most standard-size doors, the platform is plug and play. It requires water, compressed air and power to operate, making it practical for on-site training or classroom use.
The platform is another offering in Emerson’s portfolio of workforce development offerings, which includes two Interactive Plant Environment training facilities in the United States; certified Emerson instructors; numerous educational courses taught virtually, on-site and in Emerson training centers worldwide; and an Operational Certainty Consulting practice that helps customers meet the demands of a changing workforce. The Performance Learning Platform cements Emerson’s commitment to engage with industry and higher education to close the workforce skills gap.
About Emerson
Emerson is a global technology and engineering company providing solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and residential markets. The Emerson Automation Solutions business helps process, hybrid, and discrete manufacturers maximize production, protect personnel and the environment.
