In the PLC internship vs PLC course question, the short answer is that a course teaches you a subject and an internship asks you to produce things each week. Both can work, they suit different people, and many learners do the course first and the internship second. This post sets out the differences without hype.
Plain terms about ours. The EDWartens PLC internship is training, not employment. The first 4 weeks are free, with no fee to join. Continuing is paid. Finishing the first 4 weeks earns a free certificate of completion (QR-verifiable), while the graded Internship Certificate and other documents are optional paid extras shown in your own currency, and there is no stipend. We promise no job, interview or placement.
One difference worth stating early: the PLC internship is a free online internship with certificate. Finish the first 4 weeks and you get a free certificate of completion, verifiable by QR code. A course certificate is a paid extra, and so is the graded Internship Certificate.
PLC internship vs PLC course: the short answer
Choose a course if you want to learn a platform in depth at your own pace, such as TIA Portal or Studio 5000. Choose an internship if you want a weekly routine, set tasks that are checked and a project pack at the end. Choose both if you are serious: learn the tool in the course, and prove you can use it in the internship.
What a course gives you
A good course gives you the knowledge of a platform: the software, the instruction set, the way a project is organised. Videos and notes explain it, practice tasks let you try it, and a final test checks you took it in. You can go as fast or as slow as you like, and you can return to a lesson any time.
Our free Siemens TIA Portal course is an example, and the free PLC and electrical troubleshooting course covers the maintenance side. A course is the right place to learn a specific tool properly.
What a training internship gives you
A training internship gives you structure and output. The PLC internship runs for eight short weeks. You start with what a PLC is and the scan cycle in week 1, then move through ladder logic basics, timers, and counters with comparisons in weeks 2 to 4, which are the free weeks. Practice runs on free simulators, and some tasks are checked automatically.
You finish the free weeks with a set of small programs, tag lists and comments that you can show. If you continue, the later weeks add more depth and a mini project, and longer plans add practice weeks. NACE describes a genuine internship as one with learning goals, clear dates and feedback (page read 17 October 2026), and the weekly checks are our version of that.
Side by side
| PLC course | PLC internship | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Lessons you move through at your pace | Weekly work with checks and a set order |
| Proof of work | A test result and a certificate (optional, paid) | A project pack and a free certificate of completion after 4 weeks |
| Cost | Free to learn at EDWartens; course certificate paid | First 4 weeks free, with a free certificate; continuing is paid |
| Time | A few hours a week, flexible | A steady weekly rhythm over eight weeks |
| Support | Notes, practice tasks and a final test | Weekly checks and a final quiz |
| Best for | Learning one platform deeply | Building a first portfolio with a routine |
This is a comparison of types, not of providers. Whatever you pick, apply the same questions: what do I do each week, what does it cost and when, and can anyone verify what I am given?
Who each suits
- A fresher. Start with the course for the tool, then take the internship to prove it. If you can only do one, pick the internship if you need a routine, or the course if you need depth.
- A diploma holder. The internship's weekly structure helps if you have little portfolio. A course alongside fills in software skills.
- A career switcher. The internship gives you something concrete to show a new employer. Pair it with the course for the platform you expect to use.
- A working technician. A course aimed at your platform is quick to apply on the job; the internship adds documentation habits.
Our PLC internship page lists exactly what each week covers, and the guide to learning PLC programming for free puts the free courses in order.
Do both: a sensible order
- Weeks 1 to 4: start the free PLC internship, and read the first lessons of the course in parallel.
- Weeks 5 to 8: decide whether to continue the internship. Take the course module on the platform used near you.
- After week 8: build one extra project of your own, and write it up.
- Then: add SCADA and HMI skills, because most plants use them with PLCs. The SCADA and HMI internship is the natural next step.
A week in each, side by side
A week of the course might look like this: watch two or three lessons on a topic such as timers, read the notes, try the practice task in a simulator and take the module quiz. You finish with new knowledge and a result on the quiz.
A week of the internship looks different. You read short cards on the week's topic, do a Try it exercise, take a four-question check and, from week 2, may do an auto-tested task. You finish with a small program and a note on what you did, which goes into your project folder.
Both are valuable. The course is broader on the tool. The internship is narrower on the output but gives you a regular delivery, which many people find helps them keep going.
Questions to ask yourself
- Do I need a routine or a reference?
- Do I already know a platform, or am I starting from nothing?
- Do I want to learn a brand's software or the ideas behind it?
- What will I have at the end that I can show?
- How many hours can I give each week?
Write your answers down. If most answers point to routine, output and ideas, lean towards the internship. If they point to a tool and depth, lean towards the course. If they are mixed, do both, starting with the free first weeks of each.
What neither guarantees
Neither a course nor an internship guarantees a job, an interview or a placement, and we promise none. Neither replaces hands-on time with real equipment. Neither is a vendor certification. What they give you is knowledge and proof. How far that takes you depends on the jobs near you, your wider skills and how well you explain your work.
Cost and time in plain terms
The courses at EDWartens are free to learn, and a course certificate is an optional paid extra. The PLC internship is free for the first 4 weeks, with a free certificate of completion, and paid after that, with the price of each length shown in your own currency on the plan page before you commit. Neither asks for a joining fee.
On time, a course lets you speed up or slow down with no penalty, which suits a busy week. An internship asks for a steadier rhythm, which suits people who work better with a schedule. If you are unsure which you are, use the free weeks of the internship as a trial and see whether the rhythm helps or hinders.
What each leaves you with
After a course you have knowledge of a platform and, if you choose, a paid certificate showing you completed it. After the internship you have a folder of small programs, tag lists and notes, plus a free certificate of completion once you finish the first 4 weeks. For an employer reading your resume, the folder is easier to discuss because it is specific. The knowledge from the course is what lets you do that work well.
Together they are stronger than either alone: you can name the platform you studied, and you can show something you built with the ideas.
How to decide this week
Do three things. First, open the course page and the internship page and read the first four weeks of each. Second, try the free part of whichever fits your style, with no commitment. Third, decide after one week: if you are producing work and enjoying the routine, continue; if you want depth in a tool, switch to the course.
When you are ready, set a start date on the planner, and read the free internship page for what is free and what is paid. For a deeper look at the practice side, see why online and classroom PLC training work best together.
Practise with us
Internship
PLC Programming
First 4 weeks free. Weekly briefs, a work record and documents you can verify if you choose.
See the internshipRoles
PLC and automation
Roles that ask for this skill, 170 open in this country now. Free to see and to apply. We are not a recruitment agency.
See rolesTake the free course
Questions
Is a PLC internship enough to get a job?
No one can promise that, and we do not. A PLC internship gives you practice and proof of work. A job also depends on the roles open near you, your wider skills and how well you explain what you built. Treat the internship as one step among several.
Do I need hardware?
Not for the first stage. Our PLC internship runs on free simulators such as CODESYS, OpenPLC Editor, PLC Fiddle and a browser tool, so you can practise without buying a controller. Real hardware helps later, especially for wiring and commissioning, and a college lab or workplace can supply it.
Should I learn Siemens or Allen-Bradley first?
Learn the ideas first: inputs and outputs, scan cycle, ladder logic, timers and counters. They carry across brands. Then pick the brand used by employers near you. The free Siemens TIA Portal course is a common start, and a vendor course can follow once you know the basics.
Can I do it while working?
Yes, if you set a modest number of hours a week. Both courses and internships can run alongside a job. Pick a start date, choose the shortest length you can finish well, and use the free 4 weeks to test whether the pace works for you.
Does the certificate matter?
It is proof of completion, not a vendor certification, and the work you made is the main evidence. Finishing the first 4 weeks of the internship earns a free certificate of completion that anyone can verify by QR code. The graded Internship Certificate is a separate, paid document.
How long should I continue?
Start with the free 4 weeks and then decide. If you are building a first portfolio, finishing the eight core weeks is a sensible target. Longer plans add practice weeks. Choose the shortest length you can finish properly, because a finished plan is worth more than a long one you drop.
Sources
- EDWartens, PLC internship: the weekly course (read 18 October 2026)
- NACE, what makes a good internship (read 17 October 2026)
Written by the EDWartens engineering team for general education. Product names are trademarks of their owners; mentioning them does not imply endorsement. Prices and terms of other providers were checked on the date shown and can change.
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