What is the Engineering e-Academy?
The Engineering e-Academy is an innovative solution specifically structured to enhance the learning process for those individuals and organisations that work within, or provide support for the engineering sector.
There is a substantial education and training requirement for those who operate within an engineering environment. The e-Academy will provide an alternative route to traditional face-to-face delivery, creating flexibility by providing access to an excellent range of e-learning resources. Geographical restrictions to learning are removed by utilising the Internet to provide access to online resources. The e-Academy employs a virtual learning environment, e-learning modules and online assessment to create a blended learning solution that enables a flexible, high quality and consistent provision that actively engages learners.
A key part of the e-Academy model is the fact that it brings together a number of members who share similar issues within the engineering sector, and by doing so it creates a powerful, focused team which can quickly develop effective learning solutions. In addition, the e-Academy plays an important role in helping facilitate the adoption of e-learning within member organisations, and facilitates benchmarking and sharing of best practice across the sector.
The Aim
The aim is to improve the education and training process for individuals and organisations that work within, or provide support to, the engineering sector.
Its Structure
The Engineering e-Academy is operated and managed by Virtual College and EAL (EMTA Awards Limited). Virtual College are one of the UK's leading developers of e-learning solutions, and have an excellent track record of creating innovative solutions across both public and private enterprises including housing, hospitality, police, fire service and the NHS, with over 100,000 registered users.
EAL is the UK's leading awarding body for engineering National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and their Scottish equivalents (SVQs). Established with the sole purpose of helping the industry invest in its future through vocational qualifications, and as a sister company to Semta (Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies) EAL has unrivalled expertise in meeting the qualification needs of the engineering and technology sector.
The e-Academy will have a maximum of 10 founder members who will operate in an advisory capacity to help steer the ongoing development of training solutions. The founder members will be invited to join the Advisory Panel, which will meet on a quarterly basis.
Castings Technology International are our first founder member and they have provided support in the development of the Engineering e-Academy's first e-learning modules.
Once we have secured our first 10 founder members we will extend membership and access to our range of member services to non-founder members. The e-Academy will share e-learning best practice and quality assurance solutions amongst all members.
Timescales
The launch phase of the e-Academy is well underway. The e-academy portal has been established and the first engineering specific e-learning modules Moving Loads by Slinging and Lifting is complete. Work is well underway on the Identifying Engineering Materials e-module which should be ready for piloting during September. The recruitment of e-academy members has started and we plan our first Advisory Panel meeting in October. We hope to have our first e-learners in September, and first ten new members by the end of October.
