Overview

Nowadays, many employers are automating their processes in order to operate more efficiently and profitably. Automation skills are highly sought-after virtually everywhere including manufacturing, construction, logistics, retail, healthcare, banking, and many other areas. The Automation Skills Training provides you with must-have hard and soft automation skills needed to thrive in the 21st century workplace. The 160-hour training can be completed in as little as 2 months.

There are no lectures or exams. You learn at your own pace, by completing practical projects and solving real-life problems, rather than by watching videos and answering quiz questions.

Mandatory courses include Workplace Math, Data Handling, Machine Programming, and Blueprint Reading. Electives include Data Visualization, Introduction to CNC, Spatial Reasoning, Fundamentals of Electricity, PLC Programming, OSHA Workplace Safety, and Introduction to AI.

By working with your personal academic advisor and the instructional support team, you acquire essential soft skills that include problem solving, attention to detail, critical and logical thinking, professional communication, time management, perseverance, and adaptability.

The training is self-paced and works well with your family and work responsibilities. Both your personal academic advisor and an instructional support team assist you throughout your training.

Upon completing the program, you will have acquired important hard and soft automation skills and be ready to step up into a new career. You will be ready to pass widely-recognized certifications including the ACT Workkeys NCRC (National Career Readiness Certificate) and TOSA spreadsheet certificate.

Job Placement

We actively help our graduates get hired, by cultivating partnerships with many employers who understand the value of our training. Upon graduation, you will be featured in our Employer Recruitment Portal. Most of our graduates are interviewed by employers right after completing their training.

Mandatory Courses

• • Workplace Math
    This 25-hour course is for you if you need a refresher on basic math, and it can be waived if you demonstrate math fluency. It takes away any anxiety you might feel towards math. In small and simple steps, we review how to work with whole and decimal numbers, fractions, percentages, unit conversions, and solve simple tech-related math problems. After completing this course, you are ready to pass the ACT WorkKeys Applied Math exam.

• • Data Handling
    In this 40-hour course, you become proficient with spreadsheets. You learn how to organize, format, and manipulate data, use formulas and functions, perform calculations, use Boolean logic and conditionals, work with conditional aggregate functions, wildcards, and arrays, work with date and time values, use info functions, and interpret errors. You learn how to process text data, perform basic data lookups, import data from external sources, clean data, and prepare it for analytics. After completing this course, you are ready to pass the TOSA Basic Level exam.

• • Machine Programming
    In this 20-hour course, you learn how computers think, how they operate, and how they can be used to solve problems. You learn how to design algorithms and type code, identify repeating patterns, and use loops to repeat actions. Upon completing the program, you have acquired the mindset and skills needed to successfully deal with automation and intelligent machines. After completing this course, you are also ready to pass the ACT WorkKeys Workplace Documents exam.

• • Blueprint Reading
    This 20-hour course develops spatial reasoning skills (“ability to think in the 3D space”) and presents basic facts about blueprints including their history and the related ASME, ANSI, and ISO standards. It teaches in depth how to read manufacturing blueprints including advanced concepts such as material conditions and modifiers, bonus tolerance, virtual condition, datum shift, and others. The course also covers Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) including the most important GD&T rules and the 14 most widely used GD&T symbols.

Elective Courses

• • Data Visualization
    In this 20-hour course, you learn fundamental data concepts and how to use spreadsheets to visualize both quantitative (numeric) and qualitative (categorical) data. You review basic statistics concepts and are introduced to data analytics. After completing this course, you are ready to pass the TOSA Advanced Level exam and the ACT WorkKeys Graphic Literacy exam. Prerequisites: Data Literacy.

• • Computational Literacy 2
    This 10-hour course is designed for you if you’ve enjoyed Computational Literacy and are interested in learning more computer programming. You learn about Boolean logic, conditional statements, conditional loops, how to define custom commands and functions, and how to break complex problems into simpler ones.

• • Spatial Literacy 1
    Spatial literacy, often referred to as spatial thinking or spatial reasoning, is the ability to understand and reason about spatial relationships in both two and three dimensions. In this 20-hour hands-on course, you review basic geometry concepts including 2D and 3D shapes, translations (vectors) and rotations (angles), and then you actively build 3D models using a CAD software. Understanding of the 3D space is desirable in many Industry 4.0 careers including robotics, manufacturing, construction, logistics, healthcare, and others. Finally, the Spatial Literacy course exposes you to 3D printing, and you will be able to make a 3D print of your own that you'll be able to present to your prospective employers.

• • Spatial Literacy 2
    This 20-hour course is designed for you if you’ve enjoyed Spatial Literacy and are interested in learning more 3D modeling. You will have an opportunity to select an advanced 3D model that you want to make. The model will be approved of your academic advisor, who might suggest changes if the project is too easy or too hard. Prerequisites: Spatial Literacy 1
• • Introduction to CNC
    This 20-hour course provides an introduction to Computer Numerical Control (CNC). This is a modern manufacturing method that automates the control, movement, and precision of machine tools through the use of G-code and preprogrammed software tools.
• • Fundamentals of Electricity
    This course provides Automation Technician trainees with a solid foundation in basic electrical principles essential for working with industrial automation systems. Topics include voltage, current, resistance, Ohm’s Law, and the safe use of multimeters. Trainees learn how to interpret wiring diagrams, understand series and parallel circuits, identify key electrical components (such as switches, relays, fuses, solenoids, and contactors), and trace power flow through a control system. Emphasis is placed on electrical safety practices, including lockout/tagout procedures, proper grounding, and personal protective equipment (PPE). By mastering these core concepts, students gain the confidence and competence needed to troubleshoot and work safely around live electrical systems in manufacturing and industrial environments.
• • PLC Programming
    This course introduces trainees to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), the backbone of modern industrial automation. Students learn the structure and operation of PLCs, including input/output modules, power supplies, CPUs, and communication interfaces. The course emphasizes Ladder Logic programming, the industry-standard language used to control automated systems. Trainees gain hands-on experience reading and writing basic ladder diagrams to control outputs such as motors, lights, and solenoids based on sensor inputs. Key concepts include Boolean logic, latching circuits, timers, counters, and safety interlocks. By the end of the course, students can interpret real-world ladder logic programs and modify them to meet changing operational needs—preparing them to troubleshoot and support automated equipment in industrial settings.
• • OSHA Workplace Safety
    This course provides essential training on workplace safety and health standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Designed for workers, supervisors, and employers across various industries, the course covers topics such as hazard recognition, accident prevention, workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint. OSHA courses are commonly offered in 10-hour and 30-hour formats, with the 10-hour course intended for entry-level workers and the 30-hour course for supervisors or workers with safety responsibilities. Completion of an OSHA course helps promote a safer work environment and ensures compliance with federal safety regulations.
• • Introduction To AI
    This 20-hour course provides an introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI). It offers a foundational exploration of artificial intelligence and equips trainees with the skills needed to engage with AI technologies thoughtfully and innovatively. By the end of the course, trainees have a solid grasp of how AI works, its potential applications across various business functions, and the critical considerations necessary for responsible AI development and deployment.

Program Syllabus

We invite you to look at our training program syllabus but we need to explain how it is different from other syllabi you might have or will look at.

While all syllabi show you what is taught in the training, our syllabus shows you both what you are taught and what you are required to make use of yourself. To an employer, this means that you have actually mastered each of the topics covered. Click here to access the syllabus and use the links in the table of contents to see how the various topics that you will be expected to master.

More Information

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