How Can Universities of Applied Sciences Better Support the Process Industry in Planning, Implementing, And Developing Personal Skills in The Industrial Process Automation Project Activities

Abstract Book of the 10th International Academic Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education

Year: 2026

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How Can Universities of Applied Sciences Better Support the Process Industry in Planning, Implementing, And Developing Personal Skills in The Industrial Process Automation Project Activities

Jukka-Pekka Skön, Tuomas Eerola; Kirsi S. Hovikorpi

ABSTRACT:

Digitalization is rapidly transforming our society. Teaching and working life are changing. Although new technology plays an influential role in the information society, the most important thing is how things are done. The developed new education model makes it easier to coordinate studies with work and private life, and to demonstrate existing skills during exercises of the courses. This way, the education model also supports the development of companies’ activities and functions as a learning environment.
The South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) and the vocational college of Tavastia are participating in the European Social Fund Plus (ESR+) project, which is part of the Renewing and competent Finland 2021–2027 EU regional and structural policy program.
Xamk is responsible for finding out the training methods for working life-oriented studies and needs in the field of the implementation of the projects in the process automation technology in the industry, as well as developing and piloting the university-corporate life training model to satisfy the skills needs in the process automation field. In addition, process automation technology training offered to companies is being piloted.
The main goal of the Customer-oriented education model for continuous learning in engineering and technology (JATKOT) project is to develop, pilot, and introduce a working life and student-oriented continuous learning education model suitable for the fields of technology. The model closely connects the development needs of companies and the training and expertise services of universities of applied sciences and their partners. The goal of this Master’s degree program was to develop a new kind of working life-oriented training model independent of place and time.

Keywords: Digitalization; Teaching; work-life; Education; Continuous learning