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Free courses

Free industrial automation courses with certificate

What is a free industrial automation course? Here it is a set of 13 free courses, taken in order: motor control and PLC programming, then HMI and SCADA, drives, instruments, PID and industrial networks. You practise in simulators, so no hardware is needed. Certificates are optional (£19 including VAT) and are not vendor or regulated qualifications.

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13 free Industrial automation courses

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Industrial automation in the UK

The order to take them in

UK machine builders, panel shops, system integrators and process plants tend to need the same short list: one PLC brand, an HMI or SCADA package, drives and basic instrumentation. This set covers it in the order a newcomer needs:

Want a shorter route?

Learning paths group a few courses for a goal: PLC foundations, electrical and mechanical fundamentals, machine builder PLCs and process control. If you are changing career, read free engineering courses for career changers.

Practise, then show what you did

The EDWartens Lab has browser simulators for PLC, motor control and process control. The PLC Programmer, Commissioning Engineer and SCADA and HMI Engineer job simulations put the skills into a simulated UK workplace (practice, not employment; days 1 to 5 are free).

Industrial automation in the UK

UK industrial automation spans machine builders, panel shops, system integrators and process plant. They tend to need the same short list: one PLC brand, an HMI or SCADA package, drives and basic instrumentation. This set covers that list in the order a newcomer needs it. Read what employers ask for on the PLC and automation jobs board, and compare it with the courses.

What free self-study cannot do

Simulation teaches the logic, not the feel of a live panel. Alongside the courses, aim to get supervised hands-on time through a college, an apprenticeship or work, and never work on live equipment unsupervised. The certificate is a certificate of completion: it is not a regulated qualification and not a vendor credential, and it does not promise a job or an interview.

Questions

Industrial automation: common questions

What is industrial automation?
Using control systems such as PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, drives and instruments to run machines and processes with little human intervention. It sits between electrical, mechanical and software engineering.
Is there a free industrial automation course with a certificate?
Yes. The courses are free to learn. The optional EDWartens certificate costs £19 including VAT after you pass a final exam. It is not a vendor or regulated qualification.
Where should a complete beginner start?
Industrial Motor Control if you have no electrical background, then a first PLC course. The PLC foundations path puts four courses in order.
Do I need hardware or paid software?
No. The courses use simulators and free or trial software, and the Lab runs in a browser.
Is this a replacement for an apprenticeship or HNC?
No. It is free self-study. An apprenticeship or college qualification gives assessed practical training, and employers set their own requirements. These courses help you prepare for that route or add skills alongside it.
How long will it take?
The whole set is about 234 hours of study, so it is a programme of months, not days. Take one course at a time and finish its final exam before the next.

Next steps

Practise, then apply

Job simulations (practice, not employment)

UK jobs

Free simulators in the EDWartens Lab

Guides

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