Dissertation
Benefits of digital technologies in training for students, universities, and industry
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Benefits of digital technologies in training for students, universities, and industryThe findings of the focus group discussion indicate that there are a number of advantages to using digital technologies in training for students, universities, and the mechanical engineering industry. Participants noted that machine learning (ML) is most frequently associated with product advancements in the automotive industry, such as self-driving vehicles, parking and lane-change assistance, and smart energy systems (LTTU1, LHTU2, LCCTU1). During industry attachment, students are not instructed on this machine learning technology. Participants also expressed a desire for the government to exempt student training from taxation so that they can devote their resources to educating engineering students (LTTU4, LHTU4). Several participants specified that university-industry collaboration will assist in bridging the skills divide (LTTU2, LHTU5, LCCTU2). However, it is challenging for businesses to allow pupils to use their digital equipment due to repair costs (LTTU3, LHTU1). Participants suggested that a government official should intervene in the form of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to allow students on attachments to be fully accepted by the industry for their training, as the industry will ultimately benefit from their employment (LTTU5, LHTU3, LCCTU3). It was also stated that instructors must have industrial experience in order to effectively instruct students (LTTU1, LHTU2, LCCTU5). The participants of the focus group identify benefits such as access to digital apparatus, hands-on training, industrial visits, and donations of training materials. To completely realise these benefits and close the skills gap, they emphasise the need for effective collaboration between educational institutions, industry partners, and government officials. This includes negotiating memorandums of understanding to facilitate student placements and ensuring that instructors have the required industrial experience to provide effective training. These results are consistent with prior research that emphasises the significance of collaboration between academia, industry, and government in enhancing engineering education and addressing skills inequalities (Menon et al., 2022; Niles et al., 2020). It has been demonstrated that providing students with hands-on training and digital equipment increases their employability and better prepares them for the job market (Abd Rahman et al., 2019; F. Rahman & Billionniere, 2021). Moreover, ensuring that instructors have pertinent industrial experience can also contribute to the quality of engineering student education (Nair et al., 2011). Download 2.1 Mb. Share with your friends:
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