Bausch + Lomb launches robotics apprenticeship
A manufacturer, a community college and a regional manufacturers' association are running an apprenticeship that trains robot maintenance technicians.
Read the original at Rochester Business JournalCareers on the floor
Working as a robot technician.
Robot technicians keep automated cells running. They respond to stops, maintain equipment, adjust programs for small product changes and keep records of what they did. It is hands-on work that rewards curiosity and care.
Skills that matter
Technicians combine several trades. Nobody starts strong in all of them.
Electrical drawings
Reading schematics and I/O lists to trace a signal from sensor to controller.
Robot programming
Jogging the robot, touching up points and making small, safe program changes.
Mechanical work
Aligning grippers, replacing cables and wear parts, setting fixtures.
Safety
Lockout procedures, testing safety devices and knowing when to stop and ask.
A troubleshooting method
Good technicians are calm and methodical. This order saves time and avoids making things worse.
Make it safe
Stop the cell properly and lock out before reaching in.
Read the alarm
Note the exact message and code before resetting anything.
Ask what changed
New product, new part, a recent adjustment, a different shift?
Check the simple things
Air pressure, cables, sensor alignment, a dirty lens.
Change one thing
Test after each change, so you know what fixed it.
Write it down
Record the symptom, cause and fix for the next person.
A typical day
Every plant is different, but the rhythm is often similar.
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| Start of shift | Handover from the previous shift, safety device checks. |
| Through the shift | Respond to stops and alarms; keep the cells running. |
| Planned windows | Preventive maintenance and part replacement. |
| Changeovers | Adjust programs and tooling for a new product. |
| End of shift | Update the log and hand over open issues. |
Getting started
Look for technical college programs in automation, mechatronics or industrial maintenance, and for apprenticeships run by manufacturers. Robot makers also offer training courses on their own equipment. Many technicians start in maintenance or electrical work and move toward robots by volunteering for the cells nobody else wants to touch.
Recent in robotics training
Short summaries of recent reporting, with links to the original articles.
A3 and Mahoning County Career & Technical Center Expand Access to No-Cost Robotics Training in Ohio
Ohio residents can take introductory industrial robotics courses online at no cost through a career center program.
Read the original at Association for Advancing Automation (A3)Scaling AI In Industrial Automation: 2026 Data On Workforce Buy-In
A contributed article argues that new automation needs the same onboarding and mentoring a new hire would get, or the people who run it will not trust it.
Read the original at Automation WorldHeadlines are quoted as they appear at the source; summaries are our own. Follow the links for the full reporting.