Birmingham, United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Free PLC training in Birmingham

Engineers and technicians in Birmingham can learn PLC programming, SCADA, drives and instrumentation free, online and at their own pace, with the courses below chosen for the city's automotive, electrified powertrain, food manufacturing. The optional certificate is US$23.99 (≈ £19) for a beginner course.

Why automation skills matter in Birmingham

The Birmingham area builds Range Rovers at Solihull, presses body panels at Castle Bromwich, makes chocolate at Bournville and develops batteries at Coventry's UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. It is also the site of the West Midlands Investment Zone, which is built around advanced manufacturing, so automation and control skills are close to the region's core industries.

Automotive

JLR's Solihull plant, about 7 miles south-east of Birmingham, builds the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar; Castle Bromwich now presses steel body panels.

Electrified powertrain

JLR's engine and electric-propulsion manufacturing centre sits on the i54 business park at Wolverhampton.

Food manufacturing

Cadbury (Mondelez International) still makes chocolate at Bournville, where it is the area's largest employer.

Battery technology

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the UK's national battery development facility, is in nearby Coventry.

Aerospace

Moog Aerospace, a flight-controls manufacturer, is a tenant of the i54 business park.

Industrial zones in and around Birmingham

West Midlands Investment Zone
Three sites focused on advanced manufacturing: Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, the Coventry & Warwick Investment Zone (battery and EV supply chain) and the Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor.
i54 South Staffordshire
Business park at Junction 2 of the M54, part of the Black Country Enterprise Zone, with JLR, Moog and Atlas Copco among its tenants.

Which PLCs you are likely to meet

Local training-market signal (what providers teach, not a market-share figure): UK City & Guilds Assured PLC training (Scantime IMFFP) covers Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi, Omron and Schneider PLCs plus CODESYS.

Free courses for Birmingham

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

Siemens TIA Portal

Robotics · Beginner · Free

FANUC Robot Programming with the Teach Pendant and ROBOGUIDE

Robotics · Beginner · Free

ABB Robot Programming with RobotStudio and RAPID

Quality management · Intermediate · Free

Automotive Core Tools: FMEA (AIAG-VDA 1st Edition)

Power systems · Advanced · Free

IEC 61850 Substation Automation: GOOSE, SCL and IEC 60870-5

Electrical · Intermediate · Free

ETAP Power System Analysis: Load Flow, Short Circuit, Protection, Arc Flash and Stability

All free courses

The certificate

Beginner US$23.99 (≈ £19), a one-off fee. Your bank handles any currency conversion. Issued when you pass the course's final assessment, with a code anyone can verify.

How the certificate works

Useful local bodies

For registration and recognised qualifications in United Kingdom. EDWartens is not affiliated with them.

Engineering Council UK
UK regulator for the engineering profession; holds the registers for Chartered Engineer (CEng), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Engineering Technician (EngTech).
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Professional engineering institution licensed to assess candidates for professional registration.
Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC)
Professional body for automation, measurement and control; supports CEng, IEng and EngTech registration.
Engineering maintenance technician - single discipline apprenticeship (ST1426)
Skills England standard approved for delivery from June 2025, with an electrical, a mechanical, and a control and instrumentation option; it replaces the older ST0154 standard.

Questions from Birmingham

Is there free PLC training in Birmingham?

Yes, online. Every EDWartens course is free to learn in full from Birmingham: video lessons, notes, practice and a final assessment, in English, at your own pace. They run in the vendors' free or trial software with simulators, so you need a computer, not a PLC.

How much is the certificate?

The certificate is optional. For a beginner course it is US$23.99 (about £19), a one-off fee; intermediate and advanced courses cost a little more. Learning stays free whether or not you buy it.

Which PLC should I learn first in Birmingham?

Start with Siemens TIA Portal. It matches what plants in the region commonly run; the other courses on this page follow Birmingham's main industries.

Is the certificate recognised by employers in Birmingham?

It is an EDWartens Certificate of Completion with a public verification code, not a vendor, university or government qualification. Employers can check it online; many will also want to see a project you built.

Also in United Kingdom: London, Manchester

Sources

Local facts checked 26 September 2026. Company and plant names are their owners' and are mentioned for context only.