SkillsTrac

SkillsTrac is a comprehensive industrial maintenance training program, specially designed for the advanced manufacturing industry. Advanced manufacturing operations employ modern automation systems, which include programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces, variable frequency control of AC motors, motion control of servomotors, and robotics.

SkillsTrac prepares its students with the skills needed to maintain, troubleshoot and repair automation systems and components. While the program is geared primarily toward the industrial automation market, the principles taught can apply to maintenance in nearly any industry.

Program Structure
The program is made up of multiple levels, which grow in complexity with each successive level. The lower two levels provide the foundation on which modern industrial maintenance rests: Maintenance Basics and Industrial Mechanics, which form the Green Level, and Industrial Electricity and Industrial Fluid Power, which form the Yellow Level. The Red level begins advanced training in automation and consists of Industrial Controls and Programmable Logic Controllers. The Blue Level builds on all others and provides in-depth training in Automation Systems and Robotics and Motion Control.

The green and yellow levels have two topic certificates each. Upon successful completion of the courses in a certificate area, the student earns a certificate in that level and topic. For instance, completion of the Industrial Mechanics courses earns a Green Industrial Mechanics certificate. The red and blue levels have one topic each. The student must complete all of the courses in these levels in order to earn the appropriate red or blue certificate.

Training Delivery

SkillsTrac training consists of course content, taught mostly in an online format, and hands-on validation lab content, taught in an advanced training lab. There are also some instances in the program where an instructor leads the training in a traditional format. The online classes serve as the instructor and textbook for the basic course material. Tooling University, a SkillsTrac training partner, offers the online courses asynchronously. Students enroll at their local school, which assigns them seats in the online system. They can begin taking the online courses immediately.

Equivalent training labs are set up at the various schools. After students have completed a certain number of online courses, they request time in the lab at their local school to work on the validation lab content. Lab exercises typically take from four to eight hours to complete. Depending on the student’s ability and the complexity of the lab exercise, they can take a little as two hours and as many as sixteen hours to complete.

Generally speaking, there is more course content at the lower levels of the program than lab content. The opposite is true at the upper levels, in particular the Red and Blue levels, where the hands-on validation in controls and automation is especially important for a skilled maintenance technician.