Challenges in Developing a Training Program through a University–Industry Partnership for Preparing Recent Graduates to Work in the Field of PACS

Therefore, during undergraduate studies, universities focus on teaching general electrical engineering concepts, providing a solid foundation that enables graduates to work across various specialties.

As a result, many engineering students are often unaware of the protection, automation, and control systems (PACS) field, frequently directing their professional development toward more familiar areas such as construction or other traditional industries.

Furthermore, recent graduates typically possess only a basic understanding of PACS — including general concepts of power systems, phasor circuits, fundamental Boolean logic, and a theoretical overview of certain protection functions, such as time-delayed and instantaneous overcurrent protection. In general, knowledge of PACS is important for any professional working in power systems, as a good understanding can assist, for example, a project manager in understanding project timelines, help a design engineer grasp the impacts of digital PACS solutions, or enable an asset manager to evaluate the criticality of each piece of equipment and circuit.

At the same time, working with PACS has become increasingly complex. A broad spectrum of knowledge is now required — from understanding electrical circuit operation to familiarity with different types of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), continuous development of IEDs (with new functionalities and capabilities), communication networks (including architectures and protocols like RSTP and PRP), various protection functions (ranging from basic overcurrent to complex differential protection), communication protocols (such as IEC 61850), and more.

Furthermore, the constant changes in electrical grids, with the introduction of distributed generation and other elements into the power system, will only increase the challenges that professionals will have to face. In this context, partnerships between universities and industry are essential for effective professional training. Universities provide authoritative academic guidance, experienced faculty, and a strong theoretical foundation. Meanwhile, industry brings practical engineering experience and market insight, enabling training that closely aligns with real-world applications and labor market demands.

This collaboration broadens professionals’ knowledge and introduces them to the PACS field, thereby attracting more talent to this area of expertise.

This paper will present an experience of such a partnership and the creation of a training program arising from this collaboration. It will describe the methodology applied, including the division of the course into five modules covering different aspects of PACS, the teaching approach combining one theoretical day and one practical day for each module, and the planning of each module to ensure continuity between the theoretical and practical sessions.

The results of this program will also be presented, showing that by the end of each module, the professionals were already able to perform PACS configurations and tests.

The ultimate goal of this work is to share experiences that can support the development of new collaborations aimed at expanding the PACS workforce.