The role of Superior Education Institutions on post-secondary (non superior) education

In Portugal, like in other European countries, people with strong professional competencies are encouraged to obtain higher education, no matter their age or their social condition. With their strong professional background and some theoretical aspects linked to scientific and technological domains, they become more helpful for the companies and for the society they belong. Considering these facts, the Portuguese Government developed specific legislation to attract new students for the technological higher education system. This legislation, intends to attract students older than 23, and also aims the improvement of technological education after the secondary school level. Pursuing this goal the Technological Specialization Courses (TSC) were created. The TSC are post-secondary, non superior training courses that will lead the students to obtain level 4 of professional training, according the 85/368/CEE decision of the European Union Council, published on the European Communities official journal. The TSC also allow people from different professional backgrounds to get technological training. The best students are allowed to access higher education in technological domains (basically in Engineering fields) and/or to the job market relied with the country's technological industries. Before the beginning of a TSC, the students are submitted to technological tests to determine their profile, which will be taken into account on the initial training, before the starting of the TSC. In this paper, the success of TSC courses in Portuguese context is demonstrated, and the implementation of a successful partnership between University of Minho and the Technological Association for the Professional Education of Beira Interior (AFTEBI) is shown. The illustration of the successful partnership is done by presenting a case study of a TSC in Industrial Maintenance where the best students can pursue their studies in University of Minho, in the Mechanical Engineering Department in order to obtain a Mechanical Engineering Degree. The main role of UMinho (as Superior Education Institution) at different levels of this post-secondary (non superior) education is also discussed and highlighted.