Industrial robotics is a rapidly growing field. As more manufacturing and logistics processes become automated, companies need skilled employees to program and operate the robotic equipment driving these processes.
Now, a new certification program from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) is available to help ensure that students are learning the skills they need for success in these positions.
Designed in collaboration with Intelitek, which provides manufacturing curriculum and equipment for schools and colleges, and Universal Robots, a leading robotics company, the NIMS credentialing program defines the skills that students need for jobs as a Robotics Operator, Robotics Programmer, Robotics Specialist, or Robotics Technician. It creates a set of standards around these skills and it includes an online, independently validated test to verify that students have the knowledge they need to thrive in these roles, as well as separate, hands-on performance measures to ensure they can apply this knowledge in authentic factory scenarios.
For example, one of the standards for a Robotics Operator is to ensure a safe environment by analyzing the equipment and its application to determine a personal approach to safety within the workspace. A performance task around this standard might ask students to check their environment for safety hazards; identify potential risks; and choose appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure safe operation.
Other standards for this job role touch on skills such as operating robotics equipment effectively and making necessary adjustments; performing preventative maintenance; and troubleshooting the equipment when it malfunctions.
Best of all, the NIMS credential is completely vendor independent. While there are other existing certifications in this field, they were offered by a particular vendor and developed for that company’s specific equipment. The Industrial Robotics certification program from NIMS is vendor agnostic and can be applied to any manufacturing setting using any brand of robotic technology.
In fact, the program is flexible enough to be tailored to an employer’s specific job environment. NIMS works with companies to develop performance tasks that fit their particular processes and technologies.
“This flexibility allows the program to be customized to meet the needs of different vendors or industrial settings,” says Graham Celine, vice president of marketing and business development for Intelitek. “Intelitek has curriculum that is aligned to the NIMS standards, and a performance measure that schools can use to offer the Credentials.”
Intelitek Industrial Robotics curriculum is a robust education program offered online for beginners and advanced robot users at different levels. The program is used by high schools, community colleges, 4-year colleges and career training centers worldwide.
“Schools can teach our curriculum and use our performance measures, and students can walk away with a NIMS certification in Industrial Robotics that is industry-recognized,” Celine notes.
That’s important, because it proves to employers that students have the knowledge and skills they need for success on the job beginning on day one.
The Industrial Robotics credential is the third independent certification program that NIMS has created around modern manufacturing skills in conjunction with Intelitek. The organization also offers credentials in Industrial Technology Maintenance and Industry 4.0 processes.
You can learn more about Intelitek’s Industrial Robotics training and certification solutions here.
