“There is a major shortage of professionals in the field of process control in the process industry.” This is the opening line of a recent article in the magazine NPT process technology, the official organ of Dutch process technologists. “That has been going on for years.” Alex van Delft, Competence Manager Process Control DSM Corporate and chairman of WIB, the association of process automation end users, is speaking. “Although the shortage affects the entire process industry, no one is really putting their weight behind it, not even the government. Perhaps because it is not thousands, but hundreds, at both process companies and system suppliers.” Two FHI employees also speak out in the publication: Robert van de Sande, responsible for system integration in the chemical sector at Croonwolter & Dros, and Arnoud den Hoedt, general manager at Agidens Process Automation and board member of the FHI Industrial Automation branch. “For the more than a hundred software engineers and programmers we employ, there are twenty vacancies,” reports Van de Sande. “There is a shortage of process engineers who can determine which automation is needed, and an even greater shortage of E&I, electrical and instrumentation engineers,” notes Den Hoedt. As an end user, Van Delft agrees with Den Hoedt's statement. “The industry needs process control engineers who understand a process in such a way that they know which operating system suits it best. We are looking for front end engineers who understand a process. What does the process require? What does that mean for operation and control? Is it a changing or stable process? We need some kind of architects. You can't hire them. That is where the shortage focuses. The shortage of process operators is not too bad.
Solution direction?
Internships, guest lectures, traineeships, Alex van Delft believes that government, suppliers and end users must take joint action. The industrialist expects a concrete role from the government, that is, with money. “We actually need a captain of industry a la Jeroen van der Veer who is committed to this.” Robert van de Sande expects a number of things from the educational institutions. They could focus the last year of their training on dealing with certain systems that are on the market. “There are plenty of smart people, but it usually takes several years before someone is familiar with a particular system.” “FHI can work on the image of the process industry and process automation,” says Arnoud den Hoedt. “Young people quickly think that you have to wear blue overalls and a helmet, but that is not the case at all.” He also refers to the programs for young people during the FHI World of Technology & Science, WoTS fair. According to Den Hoedt, visibility is also less due to the nature of the technology. “With robots you see what they do. At process companies it all takes place in pipes and vessels. But that certainly doesn't make the work any less fascinating.”
This article is a summary of a publication by Erik te Roller, in the magazine PT Process Technology, organ of the association NPT edition 2 volume 2017, published by Professional Media Group Nederland bv.
Nederlands