On 17 April leaders of the Automation Federation and representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor met to complete the work of the Automation Competency Model.
Steve Huffman, chairman of the Automation Federation government relations committee, led the dedicated group of seventeen assembled Automation Federation and DOL representatives through a day of nonstop work to complete the upper Competency Tiers of the Model. Staff from the Department of Labor is working to finalize the work of this group; consequently, once the language is finalized, the Automation Competency Model will be the first completed Competency Model that the Department of Labor has produced.
Plans are underway to update the current information on the Automation Competency Model as it appears on the Department of Labor website. A national web seminar will take place discussing the final Model and the importance it offers to building the next generation of automation professionals. The Model will be reviewed on a yearly basis by the Automation Federation and the Department of Labor to insure that it stays current and relevant.
Steve Huffman said, “I am pleased with the outstanding work that was put forth by our dedicated volunteers to complete this important Competency Model—vital to our efforts to build the next generation of automation professionals. The Department of Labor placed their confidence in the Automation Federation to build this Model and we did not let them down. I know that DOL looks to the Automation Federation as one of their best partners in our joint workforce development efforts, and we thank them for their support.”
The Automation Federation would like to recognize these involved for the work they did to complete this Model: Steve Huffman, Mead O’ Brien, Inc.; Vernon Trevathan, Control & Integration Management; Kim Miller Dunn, Emerson; Leo Staples, OG&E; Steve Pflantz, Clark Richardson & Biskup; Steve Mustard, Logica CMG; Nick Sands, DuPont; Paul Galeski, Maverick Technologies; Greg Bodenhamer, Schneider Electric; Terry Ives, Ives Equipment Corporation; David Boyle, Infostream US; David Boulay, NC State IES; and our Department of Labor representatives Jennifer Troke, Barbara Derwart, Tom Wilkinson, Pam Frugoli, and Steve Rietzke.
Kim Miller Dunn, chair for the Automation Federation said, “I am excited about what lies ahead for our profession through the work that is being done here. The Automation Federation has gained the respect of the Department of Labor as the Voice of Automation, recognition we are striving to achieve across government and industry. This Model and this respect have brought us several steps closer to gaining the recognition the automation profession truly deserves.”
To learn more about the Automation Competency Model and other Automation Federation government relations and workforce development initiatives, visit www.automationfederation.org.