Robotics Automation Careers in Engineering for the 21 Century Erasmus Project

Project Title

Robotics Automation Careers in Engineering for the 21 Century

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship)

Project Summary

Context/background of the project;
OECD’s figures show that enrolments in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects have been falling for a prolonged period across much of the developed world including most regions in Europe. In addition OECD highlighted advanced manufacturing technologies that add value to existing products, processes and services, in a sustainable approach will boost competitiveness, create jobs, and support growth that will determine Europe’s position in the global market. Robotics Automation Careers for the 21 Century (RACE21) is a network of six VET colleges in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Finland and Romania and a specialist evaluation partner based in the Czech Republic that sought to increase STEM learning through a three year industry focused applied robotics and automation project. In addition partners sought to increase their capacity to operate transnationally through the sharing and confronting ideas, practices and methods.

Project Objectives;
RACE21 aims to develop creative and innovative teaching practice relating to Robotics and Automation and narrow the gap between what is taught and the requirements of the world of work. The primary programme objectives are:

1. To work collectively as a network to develop a transnational Robot Club
2. To increase the technical understanding and activity of 10+20 VET staff and 270 VET students throughout the project lifetime and by 20% thereafter.
3. To narrow the gap between academia and the world of work through the use of problem based learning techniques thereby creating better conditions for transition to working life.
4. To deliver 12 robotic solutions for local micro-SMEs
5. To create a new unit in ‘integrating a robotic solution’

Number and profile of participating organisations;
VET partners created a Robot Club and through it VET students engaged with local employers to create a RACE21 Employer Database (RED). In total 65 organisations participated in the project. These included multi-national companies, local medium sized businesses, small enterprises and micro-businesses across a range of sectors including, power generation, construction, manufacturing (mechanical, electrical and electronic), tourism hospitality and retail, transportation and logistics, material handling, agriculture and food production. Higher Education Institutions (four universities) also participated by hosting study visits to their robotics labs.

Description of undertaken main activities;
In total 270 full-time VET students and Apprentices participated in this project through a RACE21 Club. Each VET Partners recruited 15 young people annually, 270 in total. Working with VET staff, local employers RACE21 Club participants developed case study materials (A1) business Case for a robotic solution, (A2) developed 15 integrated robotic or automated solutions and (A3) and undertook impact assessments on upstream/downstream processes. Each year 24 VET Students (3 per VET partner) were selected from the RACE21 Club to participate in a blended mobility for learners (C1, C2 and C3) to share case study material and showcase their proposed robotic solutions to transnational Robot Club members. 12 Academic VET staff met three times for short-term joint staff training events (C4, C5 and C6) to develop new careers advice and guidance material to attract new students and new pedagogy (unit lesson plan) in applied robotic and automation solutions. The new material focused on the shared learning accrued during student blended mobilities C1, C2 and C3. VET students and staff also undertook transnational study visits to 12 RED companies and wider innovation-focused stakeholder organisations to see first-hand real-world-of-work robotic solutions. VET students also participated in joint technical workshops in microprocessor controls, PLCs and robotic programming. Steering group representatives met four times during the lifetime of the project in Transnational Meetings to discuss and agree project management, coordination, dissemination and evaluation issues.

Results and impact attained;
The activities undertaken by participants achieved the desired results, in that the model of Project-Based-Learning was tested and proved to be positive in enabling students to explore and test ideas in a real-world-of-work setting in the field of robotics and automation. A significant achievement was that 12 robotic solutions were designed and presented in the form of prototype modes.

The impact on the VET partners has been the increase in reputational ranking with local employers as a key resource in assisting them to apply innovative continuous improvement techniques. VET staff and students attained higher level professional and technical skills and gained confidence to have closer engagement with companies locally and transnationally. VET partners have a viable model for implementing PBL techniques in different sectors.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 166890 Eur

Project Coordinator

NORTHERN REGIONAL COLLEGE & Country: UK

Project Partners

• CEBEM FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL SL
• Liceul Tehnologic de Mecatronica si Automatizari
• ProEduca z.s.
• AEVA – ASSOCIACAO PARA A EDUCACAO E VALORIZACAO DA REGIAO DE AVEIRO
• Kainuun ammattiopisto
• ITIS “E. Mattei”