Abstract:

The University must know the needs and improvements of the industries where students could find future work activity. Thus, there should be a permanent contact between the University and the Industry, with a direct commitment in the continuous learning of the students. In the field of engineering, students need to observe numerous examples in situ to support the theoretical background that the University offers every day; therefore, visits to companies are an effective way to bridge this gap between the academic world of the classroom, and the real world.

This paper shows the results of Marine and Maritime enginnering students on their fifth semester and New Materials Master students, after visit companies in the context of the field of study. These activities are compulsory for students, because they have to report and give a personal opinion. To sum up, students find this kind of learning very atractive since they are able to see the importance of the theory studied at the university, and how it is usefel in the world of work. In addition, they are very proactive during visits, asking to the managers, usually the heads of quality or research and development, taking photographs, and are very critical in their observations. This type of activities could be considered the prelude or a first approach for the students in order to get a glimpse of the job market. In many occasions, they choose that company to carry out their curricular practices or start the teaching staff research projects with that particular company.

Keywords:

On situ learning, visits, installations, industry approach.