Training plan to strengthen professional competencies in the execution of residential and industrial electrical installations

Abstract

Introduction: This research addresses the strengthening of professional skills in residential and industrial electrical installations among students of the Technical Baccalaureate at the Atahualpa Educational Unit (Ambato, Ecuador), given the documented gap between technical training and the demands of the productive sector. This gap is evidenced by the obsolescence of 63.6% of workshop equipment and the complete absence of agreements with companies in the local electrical sector. Materials and methods: A descriptive-propositive mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design was used in three phases: diagnosis using a Likert questionnaire (20 items, α=0.87) applied to 35 students and semi-structured interviews with 11 technical teachers; design of a training plan articulated in five sequenced components; and validation by five experts using a 1-5 scale based on four criteria (relevance, coherence, sufficiency, applicability). Results: The diagnostic assessment revealed that 56.4% of students exhibit a low level of general competence, with critical deficits in digital technology skills (65.7% low level) and regulatory knowledge of security (60.0% low level). 81.8% of teachers believe that the training does not meet the demands of the labor market. Expert validation yielded an average score of 4.5/5 and a 92% agreement rate, exceeding the established thresholds. Discussion: These findings confirm the socio-formative approach proposed by Tobón (2013) and the UNESCO guidelines (2022) for TVET, demonstrating that outdated infrastructure and a lack of productive linkages limit the development of verifiable skills. This aligns with previous studies in Latin American contexts that document these structural gaps. Conclusions: The training plan constitutes a viable and contextualized response to reduce the skills gap at the Atahualpa Educational Unit, articulating five components that systematically address infrastructure upgrades, the incorporation of digital simulators, didactic-productive projects, ongoing teacher training, and formal collaboration with the electrical-productive sector of Tungurahua.