Meet Our Graduates

As an electrician for over 25 years working both in the private sector as well as the public sector with residential, commercial, industrial, motor control, HVAC controls, solar, generator, Ethernet, fiber optic networks, data centers as well as working in some manufacturing and Class 1, 2, and 3 classifications as they pertain to the National Electrical Code I thought I knew everything that there was to learn in the electrical industry today. I find myself humbled as well as educated after studying and passing the PLC technician I & II course taught through MiraCosta College in Carlsbad California, the PLC technician I & II course was created and made available by the George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. 

I have spoken often with the George Brown support team which make themselves surprisingly available for students. I have called often and not once was I made to feel unwelcomed or embarrassed for calling and asking questions about either the course structure, logging in and out, the download and installation or just asking general PLC programming questions. I have recently decided to take a basic introductory course in C++ at another College and the George Brown support has even answered questions I asked about C++. The George Brown student support team does an excellent job, and the PLC technician course is a treasure trove of knowledge for a CA State general certified electrician like me. If there was a review, I could answer then I would have done the review, but there was not so I decided to write my own review. The PLC technician I & II course gets a 5 star out of 5-star rating in all regards. This course has made me a better electrician.

Josh Finley is Lead Maintenance Technician at FC industries a CNC manufacturing plant producing automotive parts and construction parts. 

‘Over the past 15 years I had been able to make minor tweaks to timers and maybe change an output if needed but with automation advancing like it is I just wanted a better understanding; to be able to use the program as a troubleshooting tool and to add PLCs to older equipment as necessary.

With this program you will learn to write programs from start to finish and be able to implement them in the field right away. Since completing the PLC program at GBC I've added some PLCs to old school rivet machines, just writing a single input and single output program to make them much safer. In the past They were operated by a foot pedal which meant when the operator kept their foot on the pedal too long the riveter may double hit. I wrote a program with one input from the foot pedal which turned on a timer for ½ second and used a normally closed contact for the dn bit of the timer to that one output. The foot petal is therefore only on for ½ second.  To trigger it again the riveter must remove their foot and re trip the foot switch.

The software and virtual examples were my favorite part of the program. ‘

Mike Yakasovich currently is a Technical Sales Representative with SFC Energy Canada – a manufacturer of Methanol/Hydrogen Fuel Cells as well as the distributor for Schneider Remote Operations and Field Devices.

I have very little experience with the automation side of our business, having spent my career mostly in industrial instrumentation.  The PLC training I have done was in college was completed almost 20 years ago so I needed to brush up and expand my knowledge – particularly so I can become competent in the SCADA/RTU/PAC aspect of our portfolio. 

I have been eyeing the PLC program for several years now.  This is not the first online-style technical course I have taken - I also completed an Instrumentation course in 2016 and knew at some point I would want to learn more of the Automation side as well.  I don’t believe there are many options for online PLC courses plus as an Ontario resident I wanted to support an academic campus in the area. My favorite sections of the PLC program were Process Control, Data Communications and RTUs and PAC.

My responsibilities have not changed yet however I can speak more confidently about the SCADA portion of our offerings. I am more competent in the terminology of PLCs which will absolutely help in my future technical sales endeavors.  

The program was worth it for my own personal growth and confidence, and I intend on taking PLC Technician II as well. 

Faheem Akhter is an Industrial Electrician with SLP trades Inc. ‘There we are responsible for electrical systems installation, maintenance and troubleshooting. While I have 7 plus years of international PLC experience I believe, and have received advice, that a PLC credential would help me grow my career.’

‘George Brown College did a great job presenting the program material and I hope to enroll in the Robotics Technician program next.’

Oleksandr Tytarchuk is an Automation Technician with a logistics service provider. ‘As an Automation Engineer in the Ukraine, I believe that the PLC Technician certificate will help me find a job as a PLC technician or industrial electrician in Canada.’

I selected PLC Technician program because I’m genuinely interested in the field and want to secure a relevant job in the future. What I liked most about the program was how clearly the content and concepts were explained with illustrations, animations, and simulations software. 

 I am now enrolled in the Automation program looking to acquire additional & new skills/knowledge.

As a Maintenance Technician Ken Brooks ensures the automated picking lines are up and running at all times. 

While he already worked on PLCs he felt the PLC Technician program’ deepened his understanding of them and has improved his ability to read the ladder logic, understand how changes are made and how these changes affect the outcomes.’

Ken liked the flexibility of the program; ‘all online, working at my own pace and taking my time to go over material I didn't understand.’

Waseem found  ‘the PLC Technician program detail-oriented, the curriculum material explained clearly and the short video content very engaging. Several people recommended this program at GBC and after completing my certificate, agree that it was a great experience. I have learned a lot and am very proud of my accomplishments.’ 

He hopes the PLC Technician program will help him ‘move into the automation industry and grow his career.’  

Jesse Ohiro is a Production Operator at Magna Seating, assembling car seats for Ford and Lincoln. He selected the PLC II program to ‘advance my studies in PLC programming and other types of programming languages in general.’

‘The program along with the software, quizzes and projects all can be used to practice and simulate programs. This has helped me to understand the course material. 

The skills and knowledge acquired through the program to analyze and troubleshoot various programs and hardware, will eventually help start my career as a programmer or automation technician.’

“I selected the PLC Technician II program because our plant is upgrading its automation, moving from RSLogix 500 to RSLogix/Studio 5000. We are modernizing our automation loops, and the program helped me become an active part of the team. I’m using this new knowledge to grow professionally and be more efficient in my work. 

There are three very positive aspects of the program: time without pressure to advance for those of us working full-time, flexible payment options, and a curriculum with simulation software that combines theory and practice.  

The curriculum and simulation software are very well designed to combine theory with practice and are truly useful for understanding the applications. PLCLogix is an excellent learning tool—it helped me greatly understand the Studio 5000 environment. The knowledge I acquired has allowed me to improve my programming and PLC assembly with greater efficiency and performance.

Thank you to all of you who make our technical development possible. Thank you, George Brown College.”