Reflecting growing demand for more general, fundamental instruction in process automation, the International Society of Automation (ISA) announces today it has developed a new course for non-maintenance personnel with little or no background in the field of process measurement and control.

ISA Process Automation Boot Camp for Non-Maintenance Personnel (PABC)—which will make its 2014 debut during the week of Monday, 31 March 2014 at ISA headquarters in RTP, NC, USA—is specifically designed for:

• Operations personnel with no instrument maintenance responsibilities, but who require a general knowledge of process automation equipment
• Automation engineers who need a basic understanding of process automation equipment, signal transmissions and process measurements
• Process control engineers who need to understand the operation of all equipment associated with the process control loop
• Process control equipment sales staff needing to learn process measurement and control and the various applications of process instrumentation
• Managers responsible for overseeing operations or maintenance personnel who need a general overview of the technology maintained by their staff

While more general in focus, this new ISA course delivers highly intensive instruction—combining select laboratory demonstrations (approximately 25% of course time) with expert-led, in-depth lecture and classroom discussion—over a full week. Considerable emphasis is placed on the physical measurement technologies, the communication signals, and the various applications of instrument equipment to achieve common process measurements and control.

Primary course objectives include:

• Providing an overview of industrial measurement, automation equipment, and equipment installation to non-maintenance personnel so that they gain a basic knowledge of instrumentation, including terminology and operation
• Outlining recommended installation practices for the most common process measurement and control equipment
• Describing measurement technologies employed by different types of measurement instruments
• Pinpointing the various communication signals and related pros and cons
• Identifying basic troubleshooting techniques to verify proper field equipment operation

To learn more about, or register for, the PABC course, visit www.isa.org/PR14/PABC

The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced that, beginning in March, it will conduct four highly intensive technical training events—comprised of world-class technician, automation engineering and safety courses—in Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; and Carson, California during 2014.

These in-depth instructional events for automation and control professionals, known as ISA Technical Training Camps, span four consecutive weeks and provide:

• Highly condensed, rigorous instruction that speeds learning and mastery of skills while saving time and expenses
• The opportunity to take multiple ISA training courses at one location, and at a discounted rate
• Pre-arranged local plant tours, which demonstrate how the instruction and skills taught in the course are being applied in actual work environments
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for each course successfully completed

Each ISA Technical Training Camp includes the following instructional components:

1. ISA Technician Training Boot Camp (TTBC)

One week of intensive training that covers a broad range of technical topics, starting with basic instrumentation fundamentals and leading to the latest advances in smart technology.

2. ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training (AEST)

One week of expert-led lecture and hands-on instruction that covers practical, real-world automation survival skills—from process measurement fundamentals to advanced automation.

3. ISA Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) Boot Camp

Four courses offered in two week-long segments, held back to back, of escalating process safety training:

Part I – Two fundamental safety courses: Introduction to Safety Instrumented Systems for the Process Industry (EC50CT) and Safety Instrumented Systems—Design, Analysis, and Justification (EC50)

Part II – Two advanced safety courses: Advanced Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Selection (EC52) and Advanced Design and SIL Verification (EC54)

“The success of the two ISA Technical Training Camps we held in 2013 illustrated that there is strong demand among automation professionals for a training offering that includes multiple in-depth ISA courses in one location,” says Dalton Wilson, ISA’s manager of Education Services. “Professionals tell us that because the training is so condensed and comprehensive, they can quickly ramp up their career skills and knowledge by attending just one training event.”

The locations and dates for the four ISA Technical Training Camps during 2014 include:

• Denver, Colorado in March
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 3-7 March
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 10-14 March
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 17-21 March and Part II – 24-27 March

• Houston, Texas in June
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 2-6 June
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 9-13 June
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 16-20 June and Part II – 23-26 June

• Houston, Texas in September/October
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 8-12 September
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 15-19 September
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 22-26 September and Part II – 29 September to 2 October

• Carson, California in October
  • ISA Technician Training Boot Camp, 13-17 October
  • ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training, 6-10 October
  • ISA SIS Boot Camp, Part I – 20-24 October and Part II – 27-30 October
  Register today at www.isa.org/PR14/TrainingCamp

There will be 304 students from 38 countries and 33 U.S. states and territories that will attend the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy (HLCA) this year. The unique leadership opportunity will run from February 21 to March 7, 2014 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.

HLCA uses interactive technology, science-oriented workshops, and team exercises to teach children of Honeywell employees leadership skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). During the program, the students will meet scientists, engineers, and former astronauts who will reinforce core leadership competencies and share their first-hand professional experiences. Students will engage in team-building challenges such as designing, building and testing their own rockets; participating in simulated astronaut training, shuttle missions and a moon walk; and conducting DNA extraction experiments on fruit.

“Our goal is to continue to develop a new generation of leaders, engineers, and scientists who can address the challenges of tomorrow,” said Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company’s global corporate citizenship initiative. “Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy is a holistic program that uses a variety of teaching methods to open students’ minds to the many possibilities for rewarding careers.”

Following up on the success and popularity of its intensive technical training event in Houston, Texas, USA earlier this summer, the International Society of Automation (ISA) announced today it will be returning to Houston this fall to conduct six of its most in-depth technical training courses over five consecutive weeks beginning Monday, 30 September 2013.

ISA Technical Training Camp—Houston Fall 2013 provides the opportunity to gain comprehensive technician, automation engineering, controls, tuning, cybersecurity and digital communications training—taught by ISA’s world-renowned subject-matter experts—in one location over a condensed period of time.

The six courses include:

• ISA Technician Training Boot Camp (TTBC)
  30 September – 4 October 2013
  Intensive training that covers a broad range of technical topics, starting with basic instrumentation fundamentals and leading to the latest advances in smart technology.

• ISA Automation Engineering Survival Training (AEST)
  7–11 October 2013
  Expert-led lecture and hands-on instruction that covers practical, real-world automation survival skills—from process measurement fundamentals to advanced automation.

• Tuning Control Loops (TC05)
  14–16 October 2013
  Instrumentation and controls training that is valuable to anyone who would like to gain a better understanding of how to tune control loops.

• Using the ANSI/ISA99 (IEC 62443) Standards to Secure Your Industrial Control System (IC32)
  17–18 October 2013
  A detailed look at how the ANSI/ISA99 standards can be used to protect critical control systems. It also explores the procedural and technical differences between the security for traditional IT environments and those solutions appropriate for SCADA or plant floor environments.

• Industrial Data Communications Systems (TS06)
  21–25 October 2013
  Starting from the basics, this course provides the tools needed to design and maintain industrial communications systems on the plant floor. Real-life examples and case histories provide insight into how to apply and maintain control networks effectively in your plant.

• Advanced Operation of Digital (Smart) Transmitters and Digital Valve Controllers (TS16)
  28 October – 1 November 2013
  This lab-intensive course focuses on the configuration fundamentals, the calibration process, the measurement of multiple variables and the utilization of computer-based configuration tools for both digital transmitters and digital valve controllers.

“We’re very excited to offer our second ISA Technical Training Camp in Houston,” says Dalton Wilson, ISA’s manager of Education Services. “The great response surrounding our first training camp event this past June, which included highly concentrated technician, automation engineering and safety courses over four consecutive weeks, was outstanding. We had 83 automation and control professionals enroll across the six ISA courses offered during the event. In recognizing the strong demand for ISA training in the Houston area, we wanted to offer the camp again, but this time it will be even broader and more comprehensive in scope.”

Class size for all ISA Technical Training Camp courses (and SIS Boot Camp courses) is limited, and registrations will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis. Learn more or register today at www.isa.org/PR13/TechCampFall.