Preparation of Mechatronics and Industry 4.0 Students for Future Corporate Challenges

Success story 1 “Sound of silence”: Fostering Inclusivity in Dual Higher Education for the Hearing-Impaired, supported by a 24/7 accessible online platform, augmented and virtual reality – addressing barriers for vulnerable groups. Rationale: a significant gap in professional education for hearing-impaired individuals, especially in metal and wood industries. These individuals face challenges accessing quality education due to the lack of inclusive training programs. Specialized skills are essential in these fields, making tailored training opportunities crucial for their inclusion. The gap is particularly evident in dual and work-based learning. There is a need for specialized sign language for technical terms in the metal and wood sectors, as standard sign language is insufficient for higher education and engineering vocabulary. While there are vocational schools for hearing-impaired children, higher education struggles to integrate them into apprenticeships and internships. Additionally, a shortage of trained mentors further complicates the situation. RESULT: The Academy is a partner in Erasmus+ project InclusiVET: Bridging Skills and Accessibility in Vocational Training for the Hearing-Impaired. It aims to create a 24/7 accessible online platform with sign language interpreters and closed captions. It incorporates augmented and virtual reality (VR) for interactive training. Moreover, a standardized industrial sign language for vocational education will be developed, along with unified instructional materials for EU vocational centers. This approach not only supports hearing-impaired individuals in the workforce but also sets a new standard for inclusive vocational education. Success story 2 “3DAcademy”: Enhancing the skills in the field of 3D technologies. The Academy was a member of the Erasmus+ KA220-VET 3DAcademy project – a transnational initiative dedicated to strengthening the capacities of Vocational Education and Training providers through the integration of 3D technologies into teaching and learning practices. RESULT: E-learning platform (developed and available at 3d-academy.eu), immersive training solutions, certification schemes, and practical applications. The project aligned with European strategies for digital education and responded to societal needs for innovation-driven growth. By cultivating a vibrant international learning community and providing VET providers with state-of-the-art pedagogical tools, 3DAcademy shaped a new generation of skilled professionals capable of leveraging 3D technologies across sectors. The initiative demonstrated how collaborative partnerships and technology-enhanced training transformed vocational education, positioning it as a driver of digital transformation and sustainable development. Success story 3 “Innovation” – Dual Education in Cyber Security. Rationale: Higher education in Information Security is very demanding. Access to confidential data, working with various sensitive IT technologies, and student discipline are problematic in this type of education. Implementing dual education in cybersecurity was not an impossible task – the understanding of the Academy and the company providing services in this area enabled the simulation of actual working conditions in laboratories, with the participation of experts from the partner company. RESULT: Accredited specialist study program in Cyber Security at the Academy Polytechnic in the summer of 2025, offering both classic and dual study models. Success story 4: Innovative WBL. Aiming for continuous improvements and to further strengthen entrepreneurship programs and dual education efforts in mechatronics and industry 4.0, the Academy possesses a fully equipped laboratory for robotics and artificial intelligence, with 12 robotic arms (11 educational,1 industrial), sensors and other relevant equipment; laboratory for electrical engineering, automation and measurements; laboratory for mechanical engineering with all necessary machinery, laboratory for virtual reality and simulations and the laboratory for computing. Completion of this RCF supported efforts will result in establishing of a sustainable VTI center for the student training in the field of mechatronics and the concept of Industry 4.0, suitable for dual model study, but also for the short cycle programs for reskilling and upskilling of employees, in cooperation with 10 industrial partners of this project. The Academy of Applied Studies Polytechnic has also made significant efforts to strengthen its participation in European networks dedicated to the advancement of higher education, particularly in the area of dual education and work-based learning. Recently, the Academy has become the associated partner of EU4Dual (European Dual Studies University), and a member of the ETF Network for Excellence (European Training Foundation) and the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA).