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Whilst
our education system tries to educate
young people in the basic skills that under-pin
Information Communication Technology - ICT, another relevant
subject Design Technology - DT, a close relation and component
to ICT, is equally problematic if the technology
required at schools level is dated or unsupported. The
'technology skills' gained from ICT and DT are also related to what is
fast becoming known
as Electronics and Communications Technology - ECT.
From this point of view, ECT seems to be a higher
order of importance when placed alongside skills
required for future employment. However, there has been little effort in the past decade to
teach pupils in schools about some of the details
of the all pervasive technology that surround us,
for at the core of all ICT, DT systems are electronic
circuits and control systems.
ECT impacts on our lives in a countless number of
ways, ranging from our everyday use of heating, lighting
and water systems, to our interactions with systems
which control power, computers and communications,
motor vehicles and transportation. ECT cannot be avoided
in a modern world and neither should our understanding
of it. The rational behind the ieet is to provide
ECT and its relations ICT, DT through a number of
short bite sized training programs that build
awareness and create interest in technologies through
our Technology Access Programs. Background
of ECT
The Marconi ECT Project (www.marconiect.org),
in collaboration with the Design and Technology Association
- DATA (www.data.org.uk),
is an ambitious attempt to address this need to interest
and educate a significantly larger number of young
people in ECT. This dynamic sector of industry increasingly
needs able young people who can develop, service and
maintain the increasingly complex electronic highways
and control systems that are the key building blocks
of a modern technological society. Understanding ECT
will increase the level of technological literacy
may perhaps extend beyond interest into higher education
and ideally into employment. The ieet has with its
strong umbrella of associations, built its own collaborative
bridge into the Marconi ECT project and DATA to facilitate
ECT delivery locally (to
you).
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