Industrial Control

WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

Occupation description and WSOS

The name of the skill competition is

Industrial Control

Description of the associated work role(s) or occupation(s)

Industrial Control contains elements of both electrical installations and automation installations, with greater emphasis on automation installation. The industrial control practitioner requires a wide range of technical skills, such as installing conduits, cables, instruments, I/O devices and Programmable Logic Controllers. The industrial control practitioner also designs electrical circuits, programs Programmable Logic Controllers, parametrizes bus systems and configures Human Machine Interfaces.

The working environment is likely to be one that is potentially very dangerous and hazardous. The industrial control practitioner proactively promotes best practices in health and safety and rigorously adheres to health and safety legislation.

Troubleshooting is an important skill of the industrial control practitioner and includes identifying problems during equipment installations in a new plant or remedying problems within an existing plant.

The industrial control practitioner has a wide range of industrial settings in which to work. They may be employed in one particular plant and install and maintain production equipment; or they may be employed by a sub-contractor and work in a number of industrial settings.

Delays in production as a result of reliability issues on the production line can have business implications not only financially but also for the company’s reputation. Therefore, the industrial control practitioner needs to work efficiently and effectively to meet time constraints, while also providing expert advice and guidance to management on both technical production issues and on innovative and cost-effective solutions to production problems and requirements. A key skill of the practitioner is troubleshooting, identifying problems during installation, or remedying problems with an established plant.

The WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

General notes on the WSOS

The WSOS specifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, and capabilities that underpin international best practice in technical and vocational performance. These are both specific to an occupational role and also transversal. Together they should reflect a shared global understanding of what the associated work role(s) or occupation(s) represent for industry and business (www.worldskills.org/WSOS).

The skill competition is intended to reflect international best practice as described by the WSOS, to the extent that it can. The Standard is therefore a guide to the required training and preparation for the skill competition.

In the skill competition the assessment of knowledge and understanding will take place through the assessment of performance. There will only be separate tests of knowledge and understanding where there is an overwhelming reason for these.

The Standard is divided into distinct sections with headings and reference numbers added.

Each section is assigned a percentage of the total marks to indicate its relative importance within the Standards. This is often referred to as the “weighting”. The sum of all the percentage marks is 100. The weightings determine the distribution of marks within the Marking Scheme.

Through the Test Project, the Marking Scheme will assess only those skills and capabilities that are set out in the WorldSkills Occupational Standards. They will reflect the Standards as comprehensively as possible within the constraints of the skill competition.

The Marking Scheme will follow the allocation of marks within the Standards to the extent practically possible. A variation of up to five percent is allowed, if this does not distort the weightings assigned by the Standards.

WorldSkills Occupational Standards

Section		Relative importance (%)
1	Work organization and management	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: Health and safety regulations and best practice, especially in relation to hazardous working environments and the variety of locations and industrial settings where the work may be conducted Safety requirements relating to plant and equipment SIL levels of safety and the application to relevant industries The importance of site safety inductions The range of safety equipment used to protect self and others and the application relating to various industries The types of hazards that may be encountered in industrial settings The importance of effective communications and interpersonal skills Principles of sustainable engineering, including energy efficiency, resource conservation, and life cycle thinking. The importance of reducing environmental impact. The ability to plan, prioritize, and manage tasks efficiently to meet deadlines and quality standards Awareness of quality control procedures and the importance of maintaining consistent standards of work
	The individual shall be able to: Consistently promote and comply with health and safety regulations and industry best practices in all working environments Correctly use all safety equipment and personal protection equipment (PPE), lock off systems, and warning indicators Recognize hazards and potentially hazardous situations and take appropriate actions to minimize risk to self and others Communicate effectively with all relevant professionals, including supervisors, team members, and clients, ensuring clarity during the planning and execution of installations Think logically and work systematically Optimizing material usage to minimize waste Recycling and sorting materials effectively on-site
2	Circuit design and modification	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: Principles of technical specification diagrams Special technical terms and symbols Interfacing requirements between control circuits and power circuits Principles of energy-efficient circuit design and sustainable practices How to apply safety standards in circuit design, including short-circuit protection, and overload protection The importance of circuit documentation, change tracking, and version control in professional environments The role of testing, validation, and commissioning in ensuring reliable circuit operation
	The individual shall be able to: Read and interpret and make additions to technical diagrams in a simulation software according to a function description Advise on modifications to circuit design Interpret drawing standard sections (e.g. IEC, DIN, ISO 1219) that are to be used Implement electrical calculations such as current load, cable sizing, and protection coordination Ensure compliance with international standards and safety regulations during design Design electrical circuits.
3	Making automation control panels/centres	15
	The individual needs to know and understand: Terminology and symbols used in technical specifications and diagrams Principles of technical drawing, circuit diagrams, layouts, function descriptions, and terminal drawings Uses and layout of operation manuals Electrical and mechanical tools used in panel building activities, such as drilling and cutting Lean manufacturing processes (waste etc.) Responsibility/liability to the customer (extra holes, dirt, damage).
	The individual shall be able to: Read, understand, and interpret complex technical drawing, circuit diagrams, layouts, function descriptions, and terminal drawings Apply information from technical specifications to effective work planning and solutions to engineering and operational problems Install ducts, terminals, components, and wiring of the control panel according to the drawings and given tolerances Complete appropriate panel building operations according to specifications Interpret operations manuals and follow guidelines and instructions.
4	Field Installation (electrical and automation)	25
	The individual needs to know and understand: Issues and challenges of the installation of field components Principles of technical drawings, layouts of installations and control panels, circuit diagrams, and flow charts Principles and functions of all components used in field installation Importance of accurate measuring and calculations during field installations
	The individual shall be able to: Measure and calculate the correct positions for the components to be installed Prepare and install wire trays within given tolerances Install conduits, cables, devices, instruments, and control centre fittings Install complex cabling systems that combine power and communications Plan work effectively to meet time schedule requirements Use all tools effectively and safely without risk to self or others in the workplace Test and commission installed equipment Complete all necessary documentation following installation Perform basic troubleshooting and rectification of issues encountered during installation and testing
5	Programming	30
	The individual needs to know and understand: Principles of technical specifications and diagrams Processes of controlling motors, valves, and other devices used in industrial control HMI and PC-based HMI/Visualization to communicate with the PLC code Setting of input limits Uses of industry accepted equipment such as PLC, HMI, VFD/VSD, and distributed IO Distributed IO based and industrial Bus Technologies Industry 4.0 technology IEC sequence-programming methods (IEC 61131-3) The role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in enhancing industrial automation systems.
	The individual shall be able to: Create programmes according to written specifications and diagrams Configure HMI-screens according to written specifications and diagrams Configure HMI-screens to switch automatically to customised start screens Configure the VSD or Servodrive as required in the function descriptions Configure VSDs or Servodrives to startup without error messages Test functions thoroughly and safely Demonstrate functions to users and provide expert advice and guidance Conform to IEC sequence programming specifications Implement reset processes in case of emergency Interface automation software with artificial intelligence (AI) modules or cloud-based AI platforms, to analyze process and operational data.
6	Fault-finding	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: Safety risks during the fault-finding process Principles of written specifications, technical drawings, and circuit diagrams Components and symbols of the relay-based circuit diagrams Principles of the Relay Control Fault Finding using a multi-meter Principles and functions of the common Industrial relay/contactor control circuits Principles and functions of PLC diagnostics Field Bus Diagnostic principles.
	The individual shall be able to: Apply all safety precautions Read, understand, and interpret complex written specifications and diagrams, understanding all technical symbols Analyze the correct principles of fault finding Recognize incorrect principles of fault finding Utilize the correct fault-finding principles Utilize a range of tools and software to isolate faults.
	Total	100

References for industry consultation

General notes

WorldSkills is committed to ensuring that the WorldSkills Occupational Standards fully reflect the dynamism of internationally recognized best practice in industry and business. To do this WorldSkills approaches a number of organizations across the world that can offer feedback on the draft Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards on a two-yearly cycle.

In parallel to this, WSI consults three international occupational classifications and databases:

ISCO-08: (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)
ESCO: (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home )
O*NET OnLine (www.onetonline.org/)

References

This WSOS (Section 2) appears to relate most closely to Industrial Engineering Technicians:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-3026.00

and/or to Industrial Engineering Technician:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/bcc21c63-7eee-4520-8fa7-43eefd389668

and/or or Industrial Electrician:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/5df63943-f1bc-4438-90f1-92768a7a23c8

These links can also be used to explore adjacent occupations.

ILO 7411

The following table indicates which organizations were approached and provided valuable feedback for the Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards in place for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

Organization	Contact name
Test Fuchs	Ewald Dangle, Apprentice Coordinator
Volvo Group Trucks Technology	Bernardo Nogueira Giarola, Senior Epic Owner Services
VMI security	Victor Antônio Fonseca e Silva, Technical Analyst