Southern Indiana Business Report
MITCHELL – Mitchell High School has become a member of the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) in order to align education and training to meet the realities of Industry 4.0.
Students completing MHS career and technical education (CTE) programs will soon earn SACA Industry 4.0 certifications, giving them a competitive advantage in today’s job market. Today’s students face a far different industrial landscape than existed a decade ago. While automation technologies have been commonplace for many years, the Internet has brought about a convergence of new “connected” technologies that is revolutionizing industries worldwide.
Known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, this latest disruption of the industrial world is resulting in reduced downtime and increased quality, productivity, and overall efficiency in industries of all kinds thanks to advanced technologies that make up what is known as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
IIoT technologies include such things as advanced robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and machines, cloud-based data analysis, and cybersecurity. As companies increase their use of networks and Internet technologies, they are connecting more devices, from smart sensors to smartphones.
While there are many certifications available today that address isolated competencies, SACA certifications are different. SACA’s Industry 4.0 certifications certify “connected systems” skills that address the integration of the many types of advanced manufacturing technologies with Industry 4.0 technology.
Armed with SACA certifications, our students will be better prepared to be successful in an Industry 4.0 world. Students will be able to earn SACA certifications at the Associate, Specialist, and Professional level in areas such as basic and advanced operations; robot systems; IIoT, networking, and data analytics; automation systems; production systems; and information technology (IT) operations.
SACA certifications use standards developed with input from industry leaders, so students can feel confident their SACA certification endorses the knowledge and skills important to industry. Students will have the option of pursuing Silver (successfully pass a written knowledge exam) or Gold (successfully pass a written knowledge exam and successfully complete a hands-on performance assessment on approved equipment) certifications depending upon their coursework and hands-on skill development.