Manchester, United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Free PLC training in Manchester

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

Why automation skills matter in Manchester

Greater Manchester is building Atom Valley around advanced materials and industrial digitalisation, next to established food plants and Trafford Park, the world's first planned industrial estate. Automation and control skills apply across all three, and the region's engineering routes run through Engineering Council UK registration and the ST1426 apprenticeship.

Advanced materials

Atom Valley across Rochdale, Bury and Oldham is Greater Manchester's growth location for advanced materials and manufacturing; the National Graphene Institute is at the University of Manchester.

Food manufacturing

McVitie's has had a production site on Stockport Road since 1917, and Heinz runs a food-processing plant at Kitt Green, Wigan.

Logistics

Trafford Park has the Trafford Park EuroTerminal rail-freight hub, and Port Salford is a freight terminal on the Manchester Ship Canal.

Industrial zones in and around Manchester

Trafford Park
The world's first planned industrial estate and one of the largest in Europe, about 3.4 miles south-west of the city centre.
Atom Valley
Northern Gateway, Kingsway Business Park and Stakehill; the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre is being built at Kingsway, Rochdale.
Port Salford
Intermodal freight interchange run by Peel Ports on the Manchester Ship Canal, which opened in 2016.

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 Manchester

PLC programming · Beginner · Free

Siemens TIA Portal

HMI · Beginner · Free

Weintek HMI with EasyBuilder Pro

Fluid power · Beginner · Free

Industrial Pneumatics and Hydraulics

Manufacturing excellence · Beginner · Free

Lean Manufacturing, OEE and TPM

Industrial networks · Intermediate · Free

Industrial Communication: Serial, Fieldbus, Ethernet, Modbus, PROFINET and OPC UA

Electrical · Beginner · Free

Electrical Control Panel Design, Building and Testing

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 Manchester

Is there free PLC training in Manchester?

Yes, online. Every EDWartens course is free to learn in full from Manchester: 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 Manchester?

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

Is the certificate recognised by employers in Manchester?

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, Birmingham

Sources

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