International E-PRAGMATIC network for adult engineering education Andreja Rojko, Karel Jezernik Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Maribor Maribor, Slovenia {andreja.rojko, karel.jezernik}@uni-mb.si Andreas Pester Fachhochschule Kärten Carinthia University of Applied Sciences Villach, Austria pester@fh-kaernten.at Abstract— This paper presents an approach to informal education of the professionals from electro-mechanical industry. The approach will be developed and tested within E- PRAGMATIC network (E-Learning and Practical Training of Mechatronics and Alternative Technologies in Industrial Community). The network is an association of 13 regular and 3 associated partners from seven European countries and is co- funded by the European Union Lifelong learning program, Leonardo da Vinci. The network’s partners are the educational institutions, chambers, enterprises and associations. The main network’s aim is to modernize mechatronics and engineering vocational training of the employed professionals, apprentices and trainees. Existing in-company training approaches will be updated. Where in-company training does not exist it will be established. Practically oriented learning modules with the remote experiments or an access to the remote working stations will be developed according to the actual needs of the industrial partners. The learning contents will be presented in the multi- lingual, multi-functional learning portal with an efficient learning management system. Beside the educational aims and objectives, also the E-PRAGMATIC international Community of professionals will be established. Within that Community, the information and expertise will be shared between the network’s members and other stakeholders. Keywords- life-long learning; industrial education; e-learning; distance learning; remote experiments; mechatronics; alternative technologies; vocational training; in-company training I. INTRODUCTION The European researches have shown that technological hybridization, where electronics and mechanics are joined in the new interdisciplinary field mechatronics, is between the structural drivers of change in the electro-mechanical industry [1]. However, a market demand, in the most of European Union (EU) countries exceeds the number of formally educated professionals. As a consequence, the jobs that would call for experts in the mechatronics are often occupied by the experts from the mechanical or electrical engineering, who do not have the appropriate knowledge of mechatronics. This is especially true for the vocational level of education. Additional education of the professionals can at least partially solve the current imbalance between the supply and demand for the suitably qualified professionals in the field of mechatronics. Another important challenge in the European labour market is the education of the professionals from older age groups, who are employed in the fields with a fast technological progress. Data shows, that the percentage of labour force with a medium qualification level until 2020, can increase for 36 % for the age group 55-59 and even for 62 % for the age group 60-64 [2]. This older workforce will need an additional education to keep up with the increasing demands of their jobs. However, the participation of adults in the education/training reached the peak in 2005, and then slightly decreased to 9.6 % between 2005 and 2008. As a consequence, it seems that the EU 2010 target, which is 12.5 % of participation of the adult working force in the education and training, will not be achieved [2]. This is especially the case in Slovenia, Austria and in Spain, where the participation rate in the job related non-formal education, for age group 55-64, is much below the EU average (49.9 %, 58.3 %, 56.9 % versus the average 70.7 %). Similar situation was also confirmed in the direct interviews with some E-PRAGMATIC network’s members from the industry. On the other side, the statistical data [3] show that as much as 38 % of EU employers provide a non-formal education to their employees, mostly in the form of in-company training. Such in-company training can therefore be an efficient method to transfer the mechatronics knowledge from the educational institution directly to the professionals employed in industry. However, another statistical data reveals some problems, [3]. Not all of the employees participate in the in-company training, even when it is provided. 40 % of the non-participants have stated that they did not have time because of the family responsibilities and 39 % stated that the training conflicted with their work schedule. The modern, distance E-learning methods, where the complete training is executed via internet, can efficiently serve for the training of the professionals from the industry and efficiently solve the above described problems. Since the distance training can be time and place dependent, it can be easier to fit it into the schedule of employed professionals. Based on the fact that many of the employees already offer some kind of in-company training to their employees, updating such training could be an efficient way toward solving the problem of education of the professionals from industry also in 978-1-61284-641-5/11/$26.00 ©2011 IEEE 2011 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) – "Learning Environments and Ecosystems in Engineering Education" April 4 - 6, 2010, Amman, Jordan Page 34