The recent economic and deep political crisis in the South Mediteranian (SM) region show that access to higher education is NOT a sufficient prerequisite for economic stabilty and job creation. The mismatching between academic programmes and labour market has created a political and economic void where young, high educated people have difficult to build careers in the industrial sector.The SM Weld promotes a novel nodel of partnership university-industry to enhance quality of workforce through education and training contributing to knowledge transfer, increasing employability of engineers and technical staff and supplying North-African industry with highly qualified personnel. The implementation of welding standard ISO 3834 in North African companies will contribute to a considerable strengthen of their economical competitivness.SM Weld overall goal is to implement the International System for Higher Education and practical Qualification of Welding Personnel based on the harmonised European System for Welding. The SM Weld objectives:(i) Academic level: MSc specialization in Welding and Coordinatation of the IWE/IWT education(ii) Welding personnel: Implement and Coordinate activities of training and certification of welding personnel(iii) Company level: Coordinate the implementation and certification of welding organizations in ISO 3834.To accomplish these objectives:(i) Education: Master specialization in welding and joining (ii) Mobility: Training of academic and welding academic staff and personnel in EU- and PC countries(iii) Knowledge transfer: Dissemination and information seminars, and workshops regarding implemention of ISO 3834 (iv) Certification: Development of a common European recognized qualification and certification system in welding.Project Outputs• Welding specialization• Welding Center organization• Educational and training material• Training of staff and academic staff • Exploitation Plan • Certification system

The ultimate goal of the SM-TMC is to modernize and vitalize the educational and training system in maintenance engineering and by this to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of Tunisian industrial companies. The aim is to provide Tunisin industry with a new generation of skilled personnel, especially at mid- and higher levels, along with ensuring flexible and continuing education and training of industry personnel at all levels. In order to handle the current limitations and to remove the barriers hindering the performance improvement of the companies the objectives are:1. To implement curricula in maintenance engineering specialization in four Tunisian HEIs and to adapt it to the needs and structure of Tunisian economy. 2. To create a national organization TMC-ORG with member universities and companies for coordinating the activities regarding maintenance education and training and active collaboration university-industry. 3. To strongly involve the manufacturing companies to development know-how in maintenance engineering. 4. To develop the TMC-KNOWLEDGE Platform for education and training. 5. Overall improvement of the company climate, performance and quality in education and training in maintenance engineering. The main outputs and results of SM-TMC are:1. New curricula for maintenance specialization,2. Training programme, TMC-VET for industry personnel 3. Innovative learning methodology – TMC-Project scenarios - for practical student project in industrial companies4. TMC-Knowledge Platform with LMS for OERs, E-learning and tools for communication and information. 5. TMC-ORG, a centre for coordinating the activities for education and training.The main impact is the strengthen of the cooperation academy-industry, provide industry with skilled personnel at all levels and improve the competence of maintenance personnel .SFAX University coordinates a consortium consisting in other 12 partners, among which 6 non-academic organizations.