An Innovative and Universal Teaching Model in Engineering Education to Foster Industry 5.0 Skills—EPIC Principles

In light of Industry 5.0’s emphasis on human-centric approaches, future engineering education should prioritise the development of soft skills to complement students’ digital and technological competencies. This paper investigates the in-demand skills for Industry 5.0 and explores pedagogical approaches to foster these skills in engineering students. The identified skill categories include digital and technological proficiency, analytical and critical thinking, creativity and innovation, and communication and interpersonal skills. However, to date, no universal teaching model exists that holistically imparts all these skills. To address this gap, the paper introduces a new universal pedagogical model: the EPIC framework, which integrates Experiential, Paired, Inquiry-based, and Collective learning principles and provides examples of how this framework can be incorporated into engineering curricula to simultaneously cultivate all Industry 5.0 skills. Successfully implemented in engineering courses spanning different academic levels (Year 1 to Year 4), EPIC offers a promising framework for equipping students with the skills essential for thriving in the Industry 5.0 era.