Toward Vocational Robotics: An Experience in Post-Secondary School Education and Job Training Through Robotics

This article presents an experience that extends the traditional practice of classical educational robotics (ER), typical of primary and secondary schools, to a new didactic tool. Its aim is to link vocational and secondary schools to the completion of the school career in advanced technologies to gain access to high-technology jobs. The reported experience lasted one year and was intended for students with a high-school degree. The experience culminated with students applying theoretical knowledge to develop an autonomous robot. The course aimed to develop knowledge and skills for mature and effective operators who could directly enter the high-technology labor market. The first edition of the course has just reached its end, successfully achieving the original goals, mostly thanks to the integrated hands-on approach.