Industrial Control, Technology Trends and the Skill Base

Abstract Over the last twenty years a range of new automation and control technology has been introduced into the workplace. However investigation of the effects of this technology has generally been from an economic or social science, rather than engineering, point of view and concentrated on information technology and automation, rather than control. In this paper a detailed classification is given of control technology now in use and the adequacy of the existing skill base and the effects of the introduction of this technology into the work place on the skill base are discussed.