Ricoh UL education
84% of educational facilities have invested or will invest in Maker Education practices within two years.
Nearly nine in ten higher education professionals believe the skills developed through using digital fabrication and 3D printing technologies are vital for graduates entering the job market, as per a study commissioned by Ricoh Europe.
The Thought Leadership Report looks at new printing and manufacturing technologies, and garnered the opinion of 3,150 business leader and heads of operations across 23 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Of those 3,150, 787 were education leaders, of which 88% emphasised the importance of having digital production proficiencies as they prepare to enter the world of work, and 65% said 3D printing was an increasingly important component of STEM-based learning.
In particular, these skills are useful in the textiles, medicine, automotive and engineering disciplines, helping to enhance designs, manufacture complex and customised parts and models in courses that have a practical element. Ricoh suggests 84% of educational facilities plan to invest, if they haven’t already, in Maker Education practices over the next two years. And for Ricoh Europe, that’s a welcome development.
“Digital Fabrication and 3D printing provide the ability to illustrate complex concepts across a variety of subjects,” David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, commented. “As the way people and machines work together continues to evolve, integrating technical abilities into the learning process helps ensure the skills required of the future workforce become second nature for today’s students.
“Rising tuition fees across much of Europe have had a fundamental impact on the role of educational institutions. Encouraged to act more like ‘service providers’, universities and colleges must continually raise the bar in both student satisfaction and accessibility. Responding to this by using print in new ways to offer increasingly diverse courses and tailored syllabus content is fast becoming essential.”
The full Ricoh Europe Thought Leadership Report can be downloaded here.
