Control room operators can be trained on-the-job or through formal education, depending on the industry. Some industries require certification and continuing education. The level of training depends on the complexity and size of the facility. Continuing education is necessary due to new technologies and stricter monitoring requirements.
There are two main ways to become a control room operator. On-the-job training serves many industries well, producing operators with the necessary skills. Many other industries require formal, continuing education to fulfill these more technical positions. A control room operator is often solely responsible for critical equipment that regulates an industrial process. The nature of the job changes dramatically, from routinely monitoring dials and gauges to making quick decisions if unusual or dangerous conditions occur.
Many industries are regulated by government agencies and local jurisdictions that require operators to have certain training. In some cases, all it takes to become a control room operator is to obtain an entry-level position and then take and pass training and tests provided by the employer. The employer will either provide trainers or schedule the employee to work with more senior operators and complete home schooling or off-site training.
Fields that impact public health and safety, such as water and sewage treatment, will require formalized training. The degree of training will depend on the size of the facility and the complexity of the plant. Many operators start out working in small factories and move to larger ones as they advance in their careers.
Chemical processing plants and oil refineries are more traditional places where operators started out as handymen, learned how their plants work, gained additional experience and were promoted to become control room operators. The nature of more modern installations makes this scenario less likely. Robotic control and complicated control systems often require classroom instruction and simulator practice.
Skid-mounted utility facilities serving very restricted areas, such as a single industrial site, may be able to certify a carefully selected individual to become a control room operator. In such cases, training can be provided by the manufacturer. Larger utilities supplying power to the public sector will require certified operators. Very complicated or high-risk installations, such as nuclear power plants, require their operators to have formal education up to and including an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Many of these jobs are filled by retired technicians from the Navy’s nuclear power plant.
Most operator positions will require continuing education. The introduction of new technologies, more efficient control systems or stricter monitoring requirements are constant in facilities that require control rooms. To avoid industrial stoppages, environmental damage or risks to human health and safety, control room operators must be adequately informed. Workers take on tremendous responsibility as they continue their quest to become control room operators.
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