Dissertation
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Research ProblemTechnical universities in Ghana hardly follow the global technology trend for training mechanical engineering students for the industry. Currently, the problems facing TVET in mechanical fields range from obsolete and subtractive equipment, insufficient training facilities and tools, to a shortage of training materials. The institutions are also challenged with digital lecture halls, an insufficient number of trained lecturers with the necessary industrial practical expertise, infant engineering laboratories as training centres, and a lack of linkage between the training institutions and the needs of industry. The engineering curriculum is designed to be theoretically oriented for engineering students to acquire the adequate skills and techniques required to address the current skill gap in the engineering industries. The training centres also lack the digital software needed to train students in simulations, design, and production of simple mechanical products. Currently, engineering training involves sand casting, traditional dies, molds, milling, and machining equipment. Automobile training graduates lack the practical skills to diagnose electronic vehicle management system faults with scan tools and other maintenance equipment. Up-to-date training involves obsolete equipment such as carburetors, ignition distributors, and more. Currently, trained mechanical graduates are challenged by the use of disruptive technologies to execute tasks in their field of work, as stated by an automobile manufacturing company in Ghana. Clearly, TVET engineering training in Ghana has suffered from a shortage of skilled graduates due to digital-age technology. This demand has created an opportunity for foreign manpower to be recruited as skilled workers, such as engineers and technicians, to fill a severe shortage that cannot be filled by domestic engineers. To address the current issues, it is critical to investigate what informed current mechanical engineering training in TUs and how to assist in closing the digital-age engineering gap between technical university training skills and industry skill demand. The study explores the following research questions: How do disruptive technologies affect Engineering Students learning environment and the teaching strategies used for skill training? How is disruptive technology skill training affecting the industrial environment? What digital skills do mechanical engineering students need to help fill the skills gap in the engineering field? How are lecturers perceived to accept and use technology for mechanical engineering training to develop the skills needed by the industry? Download 2.1 Mb. Share with your friends:
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