Sector

Education, Competencies Management, Certification of competencies

Product/Objective

The project has three functionally related objectives:

• An “Educational Base”. This is a set of detailed statements explaining what competencies a good simulation engineer should have. This will be split down in to a number of different modules, covering different areas of technology (e.g. FEA fundamentals, dynamics, composites etc). Links are provided to appropriate books and training courses that will help an engineer to gain the appropriate competence.
• A “Competency Framework”. This is a web based system that allows the skills that are developed by individuals to be tracked and logged. The framework can then be used by individuals to plan and monitor their career development as a simulation engineer, or by companies to do the same for their staff and to keep a database of the combined simulation skills of their workforce.
• A revised and updated Registered Analyst Scheme, based upon the competency statements that have been established.

Project Summary

The EASIT2 project is a Leonardo da Vinci European Union co-funded project, part of the European Vocational Training Action Programme. Leonardo da Vinci projects are aimed at designing, testing, evaluating and disseminating innovative vocational training and lifelong learning practices, and at promoting innovation in training as well as methodologies, contents, products.

The main aim of the project is to set out the knowledge and skills that a competent simulation engineer (CAE engineer) should possess, and to develop a set of tools that will enable engineers to develop, manage and certify their competencies within a wide range of industry sectors.
Specific objective of the EASIT2 project is the development of 3 distinct, but functionally related, competence-based tools:

• the educational base, a database of “standard” analysis and simulation competencies;
• the competence framework, a software that enables companies and motivated individuals to verify, track, develop and attest competencies in the field;
• the new NAFEMS competence-based registered analyst scheme, that will foster a trasparent and independent certification of individual analysis and simulation competencies.

Innovation

The topic of the certification of competencies is a key issue of the European debate over the relationship between the rapid change of the technical knowledge and the development of the job market. Over the last years, the European Commission introduced a number of tools, such as the Europass and the certificate supplement, aimed at improving the transparency and transfer of competencies and qualifications as part of the Bologna process.

The EASIT2 project will contribute a new set of tools, specifically designed for the analysis and simulation industry, that fit ideally into this paradigm shift from a curriculum based qualification attestation, to a more sound and trasparent “competence based” education and certification.

ES Role

EnginSoft values the EASIT2 project as strategic, and therefore joined the project as a “core” partner to contribute more closely to the project steering. EnginSoft had an active role in the development of the innovative competence based tools, and specifically developed the competence framework application and lead the competence based registered analyst scheme workpackage.

Partners

AMEC | E.ON | EADS | EnginSoft | Geofem | NAFEMS | Nevesbu | NOKIA | Renault | SELEX Galileo | Tetra Pak | University of Strathclyde

Funding Scheme

Funding Scheme Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo da Vinci, Transfer of Innovation | Call identifier UK/10/LLP-LdV/TOI-305

Project web site

Visit the website

Duration

2 years

Period

1 October 2010 - 30 September 2012

Coordinator

Jim Wood, Department of mechanical engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Reference in EnginSoft

Giovanni Borzi

Partners Number

12