EXPLORING ENGINEERING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH A COMPARISON OF INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES IN MEXICO AND SCOTLAND

Abstract

The future of engineering education does not depend only on the curricula designed by universities, but increasingly on the needs of society and the complex requirements of Industry 4.0. Now there is an urgent need to work on an educational approach based on the close collaboration of three stakeholders: the university, which facilitates authentic learning opportunities for students and professionals and ensures the quality of learning outcomes; the industry, which establishes the skill sets and competencies it requires of its workforce; and finally, governments and professional associations, which can influence, provide global collaboration frameworks to support transformation and funding for reskilling, upskilling, as well as institutional responses. This study presents an analysis and comparison of the engineering skills "eco-system" that considers not only the technical education in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but also the problem-solving needs of society and the human factors that shape the transition to the labour market in global contexts.