companies
100
access services for further training or applied research
THEME 4 L
Business and community services
The projects from Theme 4: “Business and Community Services” focus on developing applied research centres and bridging the digital divide in the community.
Following the example of the Canadian model, in which colleges are stakeholders in the development of their communities, some partnerships have focused their efforts on relations with business and the community, developing services such as applied research centres, lifelong learning, or fab labs. This approach allows training institutions to have a closer relationship with the productive sector and to create “win-win” partnerships that foster trust and, ultimately, the integration of young graduates into the labour market.
Applied research provides real-world experience for students and helps the community or companies that would not have the means to carry out such research and development (R&D) studies on their own.
Discover the projects for Business and Community Services:
Project B04 – Applied research: innovation accessible to all and support for the promotion of entrepreneurship
Project B05 – Leadership, change management, and development of an applied research centre
Project B08.2 – Innovation in institutes: the example of fab labs
Discover theme 4
It's something to be proud of!
applied research and innovation centres
2
(UTS and UTCAM) and 1 welding certification centre (CONALEP 021).
100 companies set up
with advising by the new Centro Académico para el Fomento del Emprendimiento, under the Unidades Tecnológicas de Santander (CAFE UTS), Colombia.
extractive companies
+20%
satisfied with the quality of the programs created and/or adapted.
jobs offered
536
by the mining companies in the project regions, available to the participating IESTs.
IESTP-HDE instructors
47 docentes
received 120 hours of training in applied research and innovation.
OUTCOMES
Over the duration of the program, training on the establishment of applied research centres has been provided to almost all partner institutions, and two centres have been created and inaugurated, one at the Unidades Tecnológicas de Santander (UTS) in Colombia, and another at the Universidad Tecnológica de Campeche (UTCAM) in Mexico.
In parallel, a Centro Académico para el Fomento del Emprendimiento, under the Unidades Tecnológicas de Santander (CAFE UTS) in Colombia has also been created, and this has enabled dozens of ambitious young people to start their own businesses and thus contribute to the economic growth of their community. In addition, short training courses for companies have been developed at some partner institutions to meet the immediate needs of the sector. Finally, support has been provided to the Peruvian Ministry of Education (MINEDU) to train IDEXs on the management and educational inclusion of fab labs in technical training.
All these efforts are aimed at improving the relationship and alignment between training institutes and the productive sector, so they can develop side by side and support each other to promote the hiring of young people in response to the sector’s labour needs.
Lesson Learned
The lessons learned from the theme 4 projects focus on developing applied research centres and bridging the digital divide in the community.
Lesson Learned #1
In order to achieve a win-win, the integration of the three-way integration between education institutions, government, and business must be achieved.
Lesson Learned #2
It is important to exchange knowledge to see how programs can be developed to help industry and provide new knowledge and technologies to build students’ skills and ensure that they can grow and enhance their value proposition to employers.
Lesson Learned #3
The trust of our industry partners is required so we can work hand in hand to be able to offer innovative services that add value, and so they know that they can work with educational institutions in a mutually beneficial way, to improve the supply chain within the market.
Lesson Learned #4
One thing that is essential to being able to deliver and hold on to programs is to celebrate everyone involved and train them so they know they are a key part of the system.
Stakeholders committed to achieving the SDGs
Claudia Andrea Marchant Bozt, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Manager, CEDUC UCN Antofagasta, Chile
William Manrique Vallejo, Project Manager – Pacific Alliance, Niagara College, Niagara, Canada
María Isabel Mayo Valiente, Student in heavy machinery maintenance, Instituto Honorio Delgado Espinoza, Arequipa, Peru
Hector Julio Herrera RIncon, Instructor, Centro Nacional Minero del Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA) Regional Boyacá, Colombia
Recommendations
Recommendation #1
Among universities, there is a need to evolve and move from basic research processes to applied research, by modifying and updating curricula, creating opportunities for residencies or visits, and shifting towards a managerial vision in order to formally institute research centres.
Recommendation #2
On the government side, public policies and incentives need to be offered so that all entrepreneurs can return to universities and/or institutes.
Recommendation #3
In terms of the productive sector, trust needs to be built so that companies see higher education institutions as their main ally for solving their problems or challenges.
Recommendation #4
Five measures are suggested to move towards a university management strategy that focuses on applied research: 1) create research hubs to gather information from all current and potential partners; 2) have repositories with information and stratification or sectorization of all areas of interest; 3) continue to hold sectoral roundtables, fairs, or conferences to exchange best practices and conduct technology transfer; 4) build up communities of practice and networking, with very close partnerships among the three types of stakeholders; 5) consider creating of a multinational network of research centres.
THEME 4 - Related projects
The story continue..
CROSS-CUTTING DIMENSION 1 M
Gender equality and inclusion
