An Automation Engineering Technician installs, tests and maintains automated machines and robots on advanced production lines
If you’ve seen a video of an automotive production line – cars being built piece-by-piece by automated machines – you’ll know it’s fascinating to watch. But did you know many other products are manufactured this way and that other processes are automated too?
The goal of every manufacturer, energy plant or delivery business is to keep their production line or processes running. You could be a technician that guarantees continuity by maintaining machines and fixing them, ultimately making sure the right quantity of products is made on time and customers have what they need.
You could begin your career in a manufacturing, logistics or utilities environment – places where machines are used to automate processes or production to make them more efficient.
Once you’re skilled at installing, maintaining, fault finding, and optimising hardware and software, you could progress to managing teams, training others, specialising in a specific technical area, or using your knowledge to design better systems.
There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job. But if you're interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:
But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:
Options available after GCSEs:
More options available after that:
Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.
Automated machines involve hardware and software. You’ll handle the technical tooling to fix physical issues and gain the programming skills to establish and fix controls. You’ll apply your knowledge across a wide range of machinery (including robots!), always thinking about how to optimise how things work.
