Dissertation
Nature of Partnerships Between Industry and Technical Universities
Download 2.1 Mb.
|
Nature of Partnerships Between Industry and Technical UniversitiesThe findings from the interviews disclose a variety of forms of cooperation and partnerships between technical universities and the mechanical engineering industry. These partnerships aim to close the technology skills gap and increase the employability of engineering graduates, in accordance with prior research that emphasises the importance of industry-academia collaboration in addressing the skills gap and preparing students for the job market (e.g., Rybnicek & Königsgruber, 2019; Schofield, 2013). The first interviewee (IE1) mentioned their participation in a programme advisory committee that is comprised of Accra Technical University, Kumasi Technical University, and Toyota Ghana Ltd. They acknowledged the increasing collaboration between technical universities and industries to address the skills divide in technology. Also consistent with the literature on the role of external organisations in fostering industry-academic collaboration (e.g., Rybnicek & Königsgruber, 2019) is the role of international organisations, such as the IFC, in supporting coordination between industry and educational institutions in engineering training. Interviewee 2 (IE2) mentioned the partnership between Ho Technical University and Japan Motors Co. Ltd., whereas Interviewee 3 (IE3) stated that they have a partnership with Accra Technical University and Ho Technical University to train mechanical engineering students through three-month internships. In accordance with the literature on the benefits of industry-academic partnerships for graduates' employability (e.g., King & Persily, 2020; Schofield, 2013), these partnerships include practical training and frequently lead to employment opportunities for successful students. The fourth interviewee (IE4) stated that there is no formal partnership between their industry and technical universities, but mentioned informal relationships such as educational excursions and industrial attachments with Kantanka Automobile manufacturing company. This demonstrates the diversity of ways in which industry and academia can interact, even without formal partnerships, to benefit students and enhance their job market readiness (e.g.,Jasny et al., 2017; Rybnicek & Königsgruber, 2019) In conclusion, the interviewees highlighted various levels of collaboration and partnership between technical universities and industries. Others acknowledged informal relationships, such as educational excursions and industrial attachments, in addition to specific partnerships. This finding is consistent with the existing literature on the importance of industry-academia collaboration in engineering education (e.g., Jasny et al., 2017; Rybnicek & Königsgruber, 2019). The overall goal of these partnerships is to close the technology skills gap and improve the employability of engineering graduates. Download 2.1 Mb. Share with your friends:
|