Chariho Electrical Students Explore Automation Careers Amid Industry Trends and AI Impact
Last Updated: 2026-05-29T04:05:53.516-04:00
Chariho Electrical Technology Students Explore Careers in Industrial Automation
Students from the Chariho Career and Technical Center's Electrical Technology class visited ProSystems Integration, an automation company in Westerly, to learn about career opportunities in the industrial side of the electrical field. The tour was led by ProSystems' president and owner, John Brunelle, and his son, Jesse, an engineer at the company and a Chariho alumnus.
The students were shown various machines and equipment on the production floor, with explanations of their functions and purposes. The company designs and builds a wide variety of systems for different applications, from medical tubing equipment to automated systems for major brands like Hershey Chocolate and Krispy Kreme.
Jesse Brunelle, who graduated from the same program two years ago, organized the visit to expose current students to the industrial automation side of the electrical industry, which he felt was underrepresented in the curriculum. He emphasized the vast career opportunities available in this sector, particularly for young talent proficient with modern technology.
Ryan Northup, the instructor for the Electrical Technology class, highlighted the importance of such real-world experiences for his students. He noted that the visit provides a practical application of what they learn in the classroom, particularly regarding industrial motor controls, and can inspire them to pursue careers in this specialized field.
Siemens' New Control System Simplifies Migration and Enhances Cybersecurity
Level Automation, a company specializing in electrical and automation cabinets, has successfully migrated from the Simatic S7-1200 to the new generation Simatic S7-1200 G2 control system. The transition, which was expected to be a significant undertaking, was completed in just two minutes thanks to a new migration tool in Siemens' TIA Portal.
The new Simatic S7-1200 G2 family is certified according to the IEC 62443 cybersecurity standard, making it compliant with the increased requirements of the NIS2 Directive. This is a crucial feature for Level Automation, as many of their clients are in the water and wastewater industry, which is considered a socially important activity.
Martin Ozols, the owner of Level Automation, expressed his satisfaction with the seamless migration process, which was a significant improvement over their previous upgrade from the S7-200 to the S7-1200. The new system is also more compact, powerful, and offers more memory and features than its predecessor.
Top Companies Hiring Electrical Engineers Amidst AI Boom
The demand for electrical engineers is surging as technologies like artificial intelligence, electrification, and automation continue to advance. Companies are actively seeking skilled professionals to design and manage the power systems, chips, and hardware that underpin these innovations. The median annual salary for electrical engineers is approximately $118,000.
Major companies in the automotive, semiconductor, and industrial automation sectors are among the top employers. Tesla is hiring electrical engineers to work on its electric vehicles, self-driving technology, and humanoid robots. Intel is seeking engineers for both chip development and manufacturing, a critical area for supporting the massive computational power required by AI.
Siemens, a leader in industrial automation and electrification, is looking for engineers to work on power systems for factories and infrastructure. Other top companies with a strong demand for electrical engineers include ABB, Apple, NVIDIA, RTX, Lockheed Martin, Schneider Electric, and TSMC.
Post Electric Expands into Home Automation and Smart Technology
Post Electric, a licensed electrical contractor in Southwest Missouri, has expanded its residential services to include home automation and smart technology integration. This move is in response to the growing demand from homeowners to modernize their electrical systems and incorporate connected home technologies.
The company has invested in advanced diagnostic equipment and expanded its technical expertise to handle a range of services, including whole-home electrical assessments, panel upgrades, and the integration of smart devices like lighting controls, thermostats, and security systems. The expansion is particularly timely as many older homes in the region require significant electrical upgrades to support modern appliances and technologies.
Ryan, the Master Electrician at Post Electric, stated that the company's enhanced services are designed to meet the evolving needs of today's households. The expanded services are available immediately throughout their service area, which includes several cities in Southwest Missouri.
New Report Identifies Jobs Most and Least at Risk from AI
A recent report by Planera, a construction scheduling platform, provides a detailed analysis of which manual and physical professions are most and least susceptible to automation. The study reveals that emergency services have the lowest average automation risk at 11%, while agriculture has the highest at 89%.
The jobs least likely to be automated include emergency medical technicians (7% risk), firefighters (9%), and police officers (13%). These roles require a high degree of human judgment, empathy, and real-time decision-making, which are difficult to replicate with current AI technology.
On the other end of the spectrum, patternmakers in metal and plastic face a 99% automation risk, followed by underground mining machine operators at 97%. The report highlights that electricians have a low automation risk of 14% and are in high demand, making it a "future-proof" career. The increasing need for electricians is driven by aging infrastructure, the expansion of EV charging networks, and the construction of AI data centers.
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