STEM-education is very relevant for East-African countries, where producing added value is a way of improving life standard in these developing countries. Moreover there is a high demand for technicians from investors, NGOs and the emerging mid-class in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, supported by legislative attempts to increase local employment. To cope with this demand, there is a need for skilled people, trained in relevant engineering trades, but they are hard to find, due to the strong theoretical approach in universities instead of practice-oriented competence-based teaching. This is directly related to the lack of modern curricula in engineering and industry-grade equipment. The ACTEA project aims to fulfil the specific needs in engineering, provide better skills matching, deliver course material in 2 specializations, Computer Aided Manufacturing Technology and Electrical Engineering & Automation and, establish technologic laboratories, with virtual and remote accessibility, establish a learning tools, give academic staff additional training on technology and in developing technologic course material according to EU standards. The results will be disseminated and exploited with train-the-trainer sessions, Master Classes and with training of a pilot group of internal and external stakeholders. Good practices and results will be made public through e-resources, radio and local media. The Business Integration Bureau favors cooperation with local business, for trainings, employing students or as client for end-products. All is done according to a well-defined quality assurance scheme. The impact on the short term is increased technologic and pedagogic knowledge, increased operational capacity, increase in engineering students, and a better cooperation with local industry. On the long term, the project aims at an increase in employability, in added value produced locally, sustained life-ling-learning and long-term high-quality knowledge gain in technology.
Wider objective:•to improve the quality of education by changing the theoretical type of learning process in ET, UG and TZ to practice-oriented competence-based approach in order to form the competences necessary for the local labour market.Specific objectives:•to create practice-oriented curricula, courses and modules in technology•to create hands-on, virtual and remote laboratories•to speed up integration between HEIs and business•to establish cooperation between EU and target countries
STEM-education is very relevant for East-African countries, where producing added value is a way of improving life standard in these developing countries. Moreover there is a high demand for technicians from investors, NGOs and the emerging mid-class in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, supported by legislative attempts to increase local employment. To cope with this demand, there is a need for skilled people, trained in relevant engineering trades, but they are hard to find.
<< Background >> STEM-education is very relevant for East-African countries, where producing added value is a way of improving life standard in these developing countries. Moreover there is a high demand for technicians from investors, NGOs and the emerging mid-class in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, supported by legislative attempts to increase local employment. To cope with this demand, there is a need for skilled people, trained in relevant engineering trades, but they are hard to find. << Objectives >> Wider objective:•to improve the quality of education by changing the theoretical type of learning process in ET, UG and TZ to practice-oriented competence-based approach in order to form the competences necessary for the local labour market.Specific objectives:•to create practice-oriented curricula, courses and modules in technology•to create hands-on, virtual and remote laboratories•to speed up integration between HEIs and business•to establish cooperation between EU and target countries << Implementation >> The implementation is divided in work packages. In WP1 and 2, we assessed the local situation. In WP3 micro teams developed the actual course content, in WP4 we implemented the learning environment, lab equipment and LMS. Where WP5 was intended to do trainings in the EU, this switched to online training, due to Covid-19. In WP6 the actual piloting of the courses and Master Classes. In WP8 we made sure we reached out to external stakeholders, WP7 and WP8 ensured quality and management. << Results >> The main result is an open, consistent and relevant curriculum in industrial technology, divided in Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing, Electrical Engineering & Automation, and Labour Market Skills. This curriculum is supported by an technology lab, with industry-grade equipment, which is made mobile, to service other institutions and distant locations, an LMS is implemented. This curriculum is used to teach regular students at the partner HEIs and to training local industry's co-workers.