I. The vast market potential for PLC applications and the demand for talent
1. The level of automation in my country's industrial enterprises is generally low, indicating a large potential for the application of PLC products. For example, over 80% of equipment in the machinery industry still uses traditional relays and contactors for control. Therefore, the application potential of PLCs in my country has not been fully realized.
2. Large and medium-sized enterprises in my country have generally adopted advanced automation systems to control their production processes, but the vast majority of small enterprises have not yet implemented such systems. With increasing competition, more and more small enterprises will adopt economical and practical automation products to control their production processes in order to improve their economic efficiency and competitiveness.
3. After nearly 40 years of rapid growth, China's economy has shown signs of fatigue in recent years. With the demographic dividend exhausted and labor costs rising year after year, many enterprises are facing unprecedented difficulties, including labor shortages, high wages, and increasingly thin profit margins. This forces companies to consider using automated equipment and production lines to increase automation levels and reduce reliance on manual labor. In the near future, it is inevitable that all product manufacturing on factory assembly lines will be done by automated equipment or robots, replacing manual labor. Therefore, a large number of automation professionals with skills such as PLC programming are urgently needed by enterprises.
II. The Dilemmas Faced by PLC Self-Learners
1. The lack of practice with PLCs, touch screens, servo motors, and other equipment, and the absence of the necessary hardware environment for learning, leads to a disconnect between theory and practice, a long learning cycle, and insignificant learning results.
2. Lacking professional guidance and finding no one to consult in actual industry applications, the result is that they are all talk and no action, learning without mastering, able to talk a good game but not know where to start when it comes to actually doing a project.
3. Lacking learning partners, problems encountered at work cannot be discussed and resolved in a timely manner, leading to long-term isolation and a gradual loss of interest in learning.
4. The lack of selection and trial of PLC-compatible peripheral equipment means that we can only grope in the dark and fail to grasp the essentials.
III. Future Employment Directions for PLC Talents
1. For equipment maintenance and repair personnel in enterprises, if they are just ordinary electricians (who do not know PLC), their salary is only about 3,500-4,000 yuan. If they are proficient in PLC programming, their salary is at least 5,000 yuan or more, and some can even reach 8,000 to 10,000 yuan.
2. Sales personnel engaged in industrial control equipment: Industrial control products are highly specialized products, and it is difficult to achieve sales if you do not understand the technology. If you are a consultant-style salesperson who understands the technology, you will definitely improve the closing rate. Your monthly salary should be at least 5,000 yuan.
3. Electrical engineers engaged in equipment development and programming generally earn more than 6,000 yuan per month, and some even earn more than 10,000 yuan per month.
4. A PLC teacher at a vocational school could earn at least 5,000-8,000 RMB, right? 5. You could even start your own automation company, selling industrial control products and taking on projects, earning your own income!
