It is a fact that even some engineering professors work in researches with the industry; it is interesting to note that the industry has little or no interest in investing in the training of engineers to work in the industries during under-graduation level. Their perception still does not show that it is an investment. The communications between engineering schools and industry has evolved however it is still very humble. Another fact is that university professors, who are often judged primarily by their performance as researchers, do not have time to develop relationships and resources beyond their teaching materials at their disposal. Likewise, they do not necessarily have the time to make the high levels of coordination that many university and industry engagement initiatives require. Industry engineers also have problems with the availability of time, especially during the workday -for example, it is difficult for many to devote half a day to an activity as a workshop for trainees. Often there is no money available to develop the types of initiatives that are likely to have the greatest impact. Even when funding is available to establish a new initiative, long-term financial sustainability remains problem. This paper intends to show a program that might work as a first step for engineering schools and industries to develop relations and work together in the formation of engineers ready for industrial work environment. It is the result of a research developed by the engineering research team of COPEC -Science and Education Research Council.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF ENGINEERING COURSES AT THE PRESENTPresently engineering courses are full of important core subjects, however it is necessary to innovate and find ways to embed the curricula with important topics to attend the current global trends. Once engineering skills are internationally portable, leading to international mobility, which engineering can easily provide, and it is, in fact, an increasing trend. Intercultural skills, knowledge of languages and cultural prejudice management are very important, because opportunities are broad less and it is important to be able to adapt to any different cultural environment.Another fact, which is not new, is that many engineering students have a lack of knowledge about what being an engineer really means. The first 3 years are particularly intense and hard. A possible way to improve their perception about the profession is to implement a new kind of course, more enticing and dynamic. This is one of the proposals of COPEC's engineering education research team: -to embed a course with a more interesting activity for students, sooner, in the first year. It is a short-term workshop in order to show students the possibilities of performing as engineers in a global environmenta project developed for a private university in order to reduce retention rate among students of engineering courses.The idea is to have during the first 3 months' period, in the second semester of the 1st. year, provide the students have different class...