Engineer for the Future Erasmus Project

Project Title

Engineer for the Future

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

The partnership of this project, composed of 10 partners, from 6 different countries, was a well balanced and strong one, as it involved schools, vet schools, universities, SMEs and Order/association of Engineers. All partners were well aware of the respective responsibility in accepting working together in this project and knew what their role was, during the 3 years of project development.
The project addressed a common European need related to the lack of qualified staff within technical and engineering professional areas, especially women. A report by the OECD’s Global Science Forum showed that, as a proportion of all enrolments, enrolments in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) areas have been falling for a prolonged period across much of the developed world including most regions in Europe. Supply and demand need to grow together and Engine4F has centred on this key concept and on how we could couple both elements together in a programme for growth, therefore meeting the priorities defined in Europe 2020 Strategy related to the importance of orienting our actions towards the future, in order to achieve economic growth and sustainability. It also intended, indirectly and in the future, to increase labour market relevance of VET courses, specially attracting girls into more technical VET areas so that a balance of gender was also achieved.
Aware that the development of the economy depends on an upturn within these areas, our project aimed at intervening among 8th and 9th grade students – and female students in particular. At this age and period in the academic life, students still have the time to learn from experience and to be well informed by the time they have to choose a career area or a VET course (at the end of the 9th grade). By increasing the exposure to technical areas and engineering professions and by promoting the learning of STEM related subjects through creative and innovative teaching practices, to be included in the subjects of Sciences, Maths, Physics and Chemistry, we have also contributed, among others, to deconstruct gender stereotypes, promote gender equality within these areas, increase labour market relevance of VET courses and review negative pre-conceived ideas related to VET learning paths.
ENGINE4F has supported an “Awareness > Action Plan” methodology in the first two years and the study of the impact in the third year of its application, followed by the development of a set of activities related to STEM subjects and to be implemented in Sciences, Maths, Chemistry and Physics classes, as a way to complement them and to enhance student’s motivation and predisposition for learning.
Activities within this methodology has resulted in an ‘e-manual’ of different activities.
The project has also comprised the creation of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for the upload and download of the above mentioned activities and material, which has acted as a portal giving information on career areas, curiosities on engineering careers, tutorials, examples of career opportunities within each area, professional profiles, etc.
At the end of this project it was possible to notice that the number of students interested in technical and engineering careers has increased when compaired with their opinions at the beginning of the project. A better understanding of employment opportunities related to these areas, along with increased motivation for learning Maths, Physics, Sciences and Chemistry, development of soft-skills leading to decision-making, problem-solving, etc. (through activities implemented also in each school of the partnership), was also possible to achieve among the involved students.
The project has also allowed for the improvement of partners’ linguistic, management and organisation skills and reinforced partnerships between schools, Universities, Enterprises and other Stakeholders in the sharing of of good practices and scientific knowledge.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 247960 Eur

Project Coordinator

AEVA – ASSOCIACAO PARA A EDUCACAO E VALORIZACAO DA REGIAO DE AVEIRO & Country: PT

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO
• Tallinna Polütehnikum
• Ordem dos Engenheiros
• ITIS “E. Mattei”
• Pragma Engineering srl
• POLITEKNIKA IKASTEGIA TXORIERRI S.COOP
• NEAPOLIS UNIVERSITY