VR-PLC as an answer to industry training needs in digital competences of programming logic controllers (PLC)

ENAnalysis of selected sources of the subject of research on PLCs show that they are an important part of any automated shop floor operations across all manufacturing industries. To better prepare industrial professionals for the challenges of the digital transformation up- and reskilling of their existing workforce is essential. Literature analysis show that there is a need for broader searching of optimal educational methods in the area of digital competencies of programming logic controllers (PLC), also in the aspect of their growing popularity. The aim of this article is to verify hipotesis that there is a need to change the model of shaping digital competencies of PLC programming occurring due to technological development and new possibilities that Virtual Reality bring for metal-machinery industry workers (in the context of Industry 4.0). For that this article aims to be initial contribution to research in that field showing results of diagnostic survey conducted among managers of companies from branches of metalmachinery, automotive and electronics where is a need of PLC programming. This research was undertaken within the project PLC-Centered VR-Training for Industry 4.0 (VR-PLC) realised by consortium consisted of fallowing EIT-Manufacturing members: University of Ruhr-Bochum (leader) and Lithuanian Engineering Industry Association (LINPRA) and Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (Ł-ITEE).This article shows results of a survey conducted on group of respondents (Łobocki 2011, pp. 175) in February 2022 among fourteen managers of industry companies from Poland and Lithuania. Answers collected from enterprises associated within Radom Metal Cluster (RKM) and Lithuanian Engineering Industry Association (LINPRA) gave us an insight to companies readiness and expectations connected with the use of VR in employees vocational upskilling. What mattered was the focus on readiness and expectations connected with the use of VR solutions in workers professional upskilling in the context of digital competncies of programming logical controllers PLC. Author of this article coordinates Ł-ITEE team in VR-PLC project and gained results of research will be applied practically while planning learning outcomes designed for workshops tob e conducted for industry workers in Poland and Lithuania with the use of VR headsets.