3D Printing - Training & Support Platform
EU Funded Training Project
2020-2022
The Project
Since its beginning, the 3D printing industry has experienced significant growth, evident in Wohlers Associates’ yearly reports (Wohlers Report 2019 ISBN 978-0-9913332-5-7). Behind this growth is a talented workforce. But, as with most disruptive technologies, the sector growth happens much quicker than the pace of learning, leading to a talented workforce. This lag has created what is commonly known as the 'Additive Manufacturing (AM) Skills Gap'; the notion that there are simply not enough talented people to fill jobs and thus meet the needs and demand from the AM employers.
To help fill the skills gap 3D printing programs at all grade levels need to developed and widely offered. This will open up jobs for educators who can teach the technical and business aspects of 3D printing.
Regarding the skills that will be needed by workers in new age technology fields, there are three basic skill fields. First, there are cognitive skills, which include digital literacy, as well
as advanced problem-solving and creative and critical thinking skills. Second, there are social and behavioural skills like conscientiousness, grit, and openness to experience. Third,
there are job- or occupation-specific technical skills, in this case related to robotics systems and 3D printing.
Thus skills and knowledge at the intersection of 3D printing and these areas will also be in future demand. In terms of education, jobs for educators who can teach such skills, both
regarding 3D printing itself and interdisciplinary connection and intersections with other fields and subject areas, will become another emerging job opportunity. Such teachers will be needed in the Arts as well as the Sciences, and stay current with the latest trends and technologies that the various industries and fields will adopt.
'...The global 3D printing market was worth over $13 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20.8 percent between 2022 and 2030..'
Project Outputs
To achieve the project’s aims and objectives we will develop and produce a ‘3D Printing Toolkit’. The Toolkit will have 3 elements:
1. INTRODUCTION TO 3D PRINTING: The Partnership has produced a guide on how to introduce 3D printing in adult education e.g. type of equipment required, 3D printers ‘best buys’, how to virtual 3D modelling in a PC and how to export the models to the 3D printer how to maintain the equipment, where to buy the materials etc. Published March 2021.
2. TEACHING MATERIALS FOR TRAINERS: The Partnership has created a training programme on 3D printing for trainers, in order to provide them with the needed knowledge tools to develop a teaching programme on 3D printing in adult education. Published January 2022.
3. PRACTICAL TOOLKIT FOR TEACHERS ON 3D-PRINTING: The Partnership will develop a teaching pack to enable adult educators to learn more about 3D printing and provide course materials for their adult students e.g. assignments, quizzes, general learning materials. Published July 2022
The results of our THREE-D-Print project is to provide support for the educational and training challenges related to equipping the future workforce with relevant and needed skills to participate in the 3D printing revolution. The key focus of the project is on providing an entry-level, easily accessible courses that could motivate adults with fewer qualifications.
In THREE-D-Print we see the (introductory) knowledge and (basic) use of 3D printing as a tool that can motivate, enable and empower adult learners. In terms of motivation and inspiration, it allows the user/learner to experience a rapid and easy materialization of the envisioned objects, it enables the production of parts that can be used in robotics training and ultimately empowers the user to master the skills that will be relevant and needed in the field of New Age Technologies. Finally, it can be used to foster creativity, innovation, experimentation and a DIY maker mentality that can be usefully employed in an entrepreneurial as well as an industrial setting.
This is an important opportunity to give adult learners the expertise and competencies needed for societal development and individual development.
Our Partners
EU15 Ltd (UK) - Project Promoter
EU15 are experts in the development of e-learning solutions and bespoke training platform development. We have worked with numerous organisations to bring to life their ideas and initiatives. We offer a full range of advisory and support services for all types of organisations and their staff and have over 25 years of developing training programmes (both on-line and off-line).
Our priority focus is on robotics, Artificial Intelligence, 3D printing and entrepreneurship.EU15 has a keen interest in working with new Partners to enhance and develop new training methodologies to enhance the skills of a new generation that will need such skills when seeking employment in the future.
CEPROF (Portugal)
CEPORF is an expert in Robotics, Automation and 3D Pronting. CEPROF was a key partner in the Erasmus+ KA2 project Rotena (www.rotena.eu), in which an open-access training module of Robotics and 3D printing were created, it is now coordinating the KA3 project RoboVET which aims to create a transnational 3-year-long VET certification in Robotics, it is a partner in the KA3 project E-Design in which hotspots for training ICTs will be created next to communities under risk of socio-economic exclusion and is also partner in the KA2 project IAEJE for the creation of Ecathons on ICTs. ESPE is national leader in elaborating and in providing VET training on new technologies. This can be demonstrated for the 3 national champion titles in the national competitions on school robotics of the last 5 years, and for the minor titles obtained in representation of Portugal in the World School Robotics competition in the last 5 years, which were obtained in Italy, Germany and China.
CITIZENS IN POWER (Cyprus)
CIP is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization. CIP aims at the development of different ramifications of entrepreneurship, education and democratic dialogue in Cyprus and abroad. To achieve those targets CIP has established an ongoing collaboration with the majority of Cypriot leading universities, NGOs and research organizations in Cyprus, especially for the development of innovative projects and international training or as well as for the deployment of pedagogical educational material, by primarily using web platforms and other technological innovations. Simultaneously, CIP retains a valuable network of professional trainers and educational experts experienced with both formal and non-formal education. This network is being considered competent to contribute to the implementation of activities, related to the initiatives of the organization and its partners.
EUROPOLE (Italy)
Polo Europeo della Conoscenza (European Pole Of Knowledge) or ”Europole” is a public body, no profit – network of educational Institutions (about 4000 Organizations) among them researchers, Universities, adult education organizations, Regional Administrations, VET schools, NGOs, cooperatives, and schools of every order and degree at national level working for the European social and educational integration. Its main fields of activities are to promote the European dimension and integration through European and extra – European workshops, seminars, conferences, partnerships and projects. The Europole network is coordinating “umbrella activities” involving everytime the greatest possible number of institutions of the consortium. The network include and collaborate with other 3 National Networks of Educational Institutions: The School of Robotics of Genoa, the CNIS for Teachers specialized for the disabled and the network of Schools without backpack.
ALL DIGITAL (Belgium)
ALL DIGITAL is a pan-European association based in Brussels. It represents 70 member organisations that work with 25,000 digital competence centres providing access & training to 3 million people in Europe every year. Our aim is to enable the Europeans without basic digital skills to exploit the opportunities created by digital transformation. Our members are mainly non-profit organisations (ICT community centres, universities, associations, NGOs, libraries etc.) in the field of non-formal education providing access to Internet & ICT tools, as well as digital training, certification and opportunities for both general and disadvantaged populations.
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