BACKGROUND
Electronics industry with the largely standardised processes of manufacture and assembly of components, has become a truly global business. Small electronics companies have been opened in the remote regions of Scandinavia, as well as on the Baltic Sea islands. Standard production processes set similar requirements to the instruction and training of both skilled workers and engineers. The aim of professional training is to prepare personnel capable of entering the open and highly competitive labour market.

This project is initiated by the electronics manufacturing (EM) enterprises of Estonia and their association (our partners) feeling an urgent need for medium-level specialists having a set of skills for operating effectively in electronics industry. International co-operation between institutions of applied higher education initiated the idea of creating a new program of electronics studies tailored for regional colleges of technical universities of different countries.

PROJECT AIM
Developing and testing of a semester-long project-based curriculum, “learning by doing” teaching methodology and teaching/training materials and tools for training of specialist in electronics and the related industries at the level of higher vocational education.

Specific Aims

• to introduce a new ideology (semester-long project-oriented activity) of teaching/training into higher technological education;
• to prepare flexible study modules for 3-4 year Bachelor’s degree engineering studies taking into account the changing character of the manufacturing processes in industry;
• to deepen the co-operation between academic universities and colleges in the field of engineering;
• to involve enterprises as partners into training/teaching process of students and young specialists;
• to develop the quality insurance system for bachelor degree engineering studies in co-operation with industrial and social partners;
• to promote engineering studies on bachelor degree level in the remote areas improving the local competitiveness and entrepreneurship.