BIDIRECTIONAL KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND COMPANIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

The lack of human resource qualification seems to be a recurring issue in today industrial field either because of new fresh graduate workforce with limited practice skill or due to obsolete experienced workforce. Today's educational system is not keeping up with the current demand for skills, more focused now on concrete practical abilities. New approaches such as continuous training programs focused more on practical up to date skills development are needed in order to close the skills gap in present and future workforce and achieve the growth promised by intelligent technologies (Industry 4.0). This article describes the collaboration results between ASTI Automation as an industrial training promoter and the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computers (ACS) as a high-level educational entity. The results are referring to a complete training solution for beginners, students, and more experienced workers by leveraging the concept of continuous learning in and after traditional education. The solution includes integrated industrial training equipment for control, process simulation and small-scale production. By combining the industrial experience of ASTI and the educational background of the faculty, the training system points out the theoretical notions and creates the necessary support to acquire skills. Curriculum compatible applications as well as the focus on hands on experience are the main objectives for training a new skilled workforce generation. Moreover, regarding the overcomes for the academicals field a bidirectional knowledge transfer is assured be multidisciplinary working teams involving PhD students and company employees in such projects.