If you want a recognised, employer-paid route into PLC work, the apprenticeship is the strongest option: the Level 4 Automation and Controls Engineering Technician standard (ST0662) has a typical duration of 48 months, according to Skills England. If you are already adult, already working or cannot find an employer, a short course or a degree may be the realistic route. None of them is a shortcut, and none is a promise of a job.
What is the PLC apprenticeship in the UK?
The PLC apprenticeship is the Automation and controls engineering technician standard, a Level 4 higher apprenticeship. Skills England lists it as ST0662, version 1.1, with a typical duration of 48 months (not including the end-point assessment period), a maximum funding band of £14,000, and an "approved for delivery" status. The page notes the standard is being revised, so check it before you apply.
The standard aligns with Engineering Technician (EngTech) registration through the IET and IMechE. In practice, colleges pair it with a technical qualification. One college listing I opened (Loughborough College) shows a duration of 55 months, one day per week at college in term time, and entry requirements of five GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English, maths and science, plus a Level 3 engineering qualification or A levels in maths and physics. Employers set their own entry requirements, so treat that as one example rather than a rule.
You cannot simply enrol. An apprenticeship is a job with an employer, so the first step is to be hired, usually through the government's Find an Apprenticeship service or directly through a manufacturer, system integrator or utility. The legal minimum for apprentices is £8 per hour from April 2026 (under 19s, and over 19s in their first year), according to GOV.UK; many employers pay more.
What do you actually learn on it?
The standard lists 14 core duties, and the ones closest to PLC work are programming control system hardware, commissioning hardware and software in industrial networks, servicing and maintaining control hardware, developing or modifying control programs, and testing and validating systems for safety and compliance. It also includes fault escalation, risk assessments and keeping up your own continuing professional development.
Notice how much of that is hands-on and site-based. An apprentice spends four years around real panels, real faults and real production pressure. That exposure is the main thing a short course or a degree cannot give you.
How do the three routes compare?
The routes differ most on time, who pays, and how much real-site experience you get. Here is a side-by-side comparison using only figures I could check on official or provider pages.
| Apprenticeship (L4 technician) | Degree (e.g. electrical or control engineering) | Short PLC course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical time | 48 months typical (ST0662); 55 months on one college listing | Around 3 years full time (4 for an integrated master's) | 3 days to 8 weeks for the examples below |
| Who pays | Funded through the apprenticeship system; you earn at least the apprentice minimum of £8 an hour | Tuition fee loan up to £9,790 for 2026/27 (GOV.UK) plus living costs | Usually you or your employer |
| Level | Level 4 (higher apprenticeship) | Level 6 (honours degree) | Varies: Level 4 competency certificate, City & Guilds, CPD or attendance certificate |
| Real-site experience | Four years in an employer's workplace | Placement year optional, depends on course | None unless you are already employed |
| Entry | Must secure an employer; entry requirements vary | UCAS application and grades | Usually open to anyone |
| Best for | School leavers and existing employees who want a structured technician career | People targeting design-heavy or chartered engineering routes | Career changers, electricians and technicians adding PLC skills |
GOV.UK's qualification-level list places a higher apprenticeship and an HNC at Level 4, and an honours degree and degree apprenticeship at Level 6. Prospects notes that a Level 6 degree apprenticeship in control systems engineering also exists, and that an HND can lead into control and instrumentation work, possibly at technician level first.
Which route suits you?
The best route is the one that matches your starting point rather than the one with the most impressive title.
- School leaver or under 25 who wants to earn while learning: apply for apprenticeships now; it is slow to land one, so apply widely.
- Already working in an engineering or maintenance job: ask whether your employer will put you on the apprenticeship, or an upskilling route, as a current employee.
- Looking at a degree: choose it if you want design, project or chartered-engineer progression. Prospects gives graduate control and instrumentation starting salaries of £25,000 to £30,000, rising with experience.
- Electrician or technician adding skills: a short PLC course is usually the fastest path. See our guide to moving from electrician to PLC engineer.
- Adult career changer with no engineering background: you can combine a short course, free practice and a junior application strategy, as covered in how to become a PLC engineer with no experience.
That video is a 2019 recruitment film from a UK controls and automation supplier, so treat it as an employer's own marketing. It is useful mainly to see how one UK employer in this sector presents its apprenticeships.
What do short PLC courses cost and what do they give you?
A short course is the quickest and cheapest way to learn the software, but certificates differ widely and none replaces real-site experience. These are the examples I checked on 21 October 2026:
- Make UK: a 3-day PLC programming course in Aston, Birmingham, at £995 plus VAT (£840 plus VAT for members). There is no assessment, and delegates receive a certificate of attendance.
- Technique Learning Solutions: a 5-day Programmable Logic Controllers course accredited by City & Guilds at £1,030 excluding VAT, built around each student using their own training rig.
- Dudley College: an 8-week Level 4 evening course (Wednesdays, 18:00 to 21:00), listed as free if eligible for adults aged 19 and over under certain funding streams, with a competency certificate and no formal assessment.
- EDWartens UK Professional Module: five live online days, £2,140 plus VAT (£2,568), CPD accredited. It is Siemens TIA Portal focused, delivered online via simulation rather than a physical rig, and CPD is not a regulated qualification like City & Guilds or an HNC.
For funding detail, read funded PLC training in England, and for how the certificates differ, CPD vs City & Guilds vs Siemens certification.
What do employers pay at the start?
Entry roles pay less than headline PLC engineer figures, which is why the training route matters. Reed listed 133 results for "trainee PLC" on 21 October 2026, with examples including Graduate or Junior Engineer (training into automation and PLCs) at £27,000 to £30,000, Junior Controls or PLC Engineer at £30,000 to £40,000, and Junior Automation Engineer (PLC, Siemens TIA Portal) at £40,000 to £50,000.
At the experienced end, ITJobsWatch reports a median advertised salary of £60,000 for PLC Engineer roles in the six months to 21 October 2026 (£57,000 a year earlier), based on 144 permanent ads. ITJobsWatch is an IT-focused index and these are small samples, so use them as a rough guide, not a forecast. Our deeper dive into trainee PLC roles shows what employers ask for.
What are the downsides of each route?
Every route has a cost, and it is better to see it before you commit.
- Apprenticeship: places are limited and local, and the quality of training depends heavily on one employer. At 48 to 55 months it is a long commitment, and the pay in the early period may be close to the legal minimum (£8 an hour for under 19s and first-year apprentices from April 2026), so check the advertised wage.
- Degree: three years of fees and living costs, and some degrees contain very little PLC programming. Prospects notes that if a degree lacked control content, employers may ask for an MSc in control systems.
- Short course: the quickest and cheapest start, but also the narrowest. Certificates vary: Make UK issues a certificate of attendance with no assessment, Dudley College issues a competency certificate with no formal assessment, and a CPD certificate is not a regulated qualification. You will still need practice and a way to gain site experience.
If you can only do one now, pick the route you can finish. A short course completed this quarter, followed by an apprenticeship or HNC application next year, beats a perfect plan you never start.
How should you decide?
Ask four questions, in this order.
- Can I get an apprenticeship place? If yes, and the employer is a genuine controls or manufacturing firm, it is usually the best long-term route.
- Can I afford four years at an apprentice wage? If you have dependants or a mortgage, you may not be able to.
- Do I need to be employable sooner? If so, a short course plus a portfolio can open junior doors, though entry roles are competitive.
- Do I want to design systems or lead teams? Then a degree or degree apprenticeship should be on your list.
You can also combine routes. Plenty of people take a short course while applying for apprenticeships or junior roles, then add an HNC or degree later with employer support.
How EDWartens can help
The EDWartens UK Professional Module is a short-course option, not a substitute for an apprenticeship. It runs five days live online in Siemens TIA Portal with a self-paced Basic Engineering library, a CPD certificate (80 credits) and career support including a one-to-one resume session. There is no job guarantee. Details and dates are on the Professional Module page, and you can sign up when you are ready. To test your interest first, try the free PLC simulator and the free Siemens TIA Portal course.
