S4S3 - Wood Processing and Furniture Manufacturing

Why are some regions and countries better at stimulating competitiveness, productivity and economic growth?

One of the main goals of the European Union is to reduce disparities in the level of development between regions. And this is not happening. Within countries, some regions are growing faster than others. They have dynamic businesses and innovation clusters, and they develop and commercialise internationally significant products and services – while others do not.

Could other regions and countries replicate the same model and achieve the same result?

The EC believes that these approaches to economic growth and competitiveness are replicable – and developed an approach and a tool to support each region in identifying their own competitive advantages. They called the approach Smart Specialisation. Today, many countries beyond the EU have adopted smart specialisation in their national or regional development strategies.

Skills for Smart Specialisation

While smart specialisation is primarily about the economics of specialisation, VET and skills are the engine that drive smart specialisation. The reason why the ETF set out to develop a methodological approach, Skills for Smart specialisation, in 2019, is that regions and countries that have the right skills are able to certain things better. They are able to:

1. Produce more
2. Produce more complex products and services
3. Innovate and make new products or develop services that are not yet available
4. Industries are related through their skills. Industries that enter a region are often related to the region’s current industries. Vice versa is also true. Industries that exit a region, tend to be unrelated to other industries in the region. This is because industries are related through their skills.

These four points make human capital development of a region is a key determining factor for smart specialisation.

Sketching out possible future development paths for education and training in Advanced Manufacturing in Ukraine

In 2021, the ETF is introducing two new elements to the methodology which will be applied in Rivne in the Woodworking and Furniture Manufacturing sector: a foresight action and a peer learning partnership.

The first objective of the foresight action in Rivne region is to help policymakers, VET schools and centres, and businesses to anticipate change, prepare responses, and create more robust strategies to address skills needs of smart specialisation.

The second objective of the foresight action is to lay the ground for peer learning with EU regions with matching smart specialisation priorities.

In order to reach these objectives, the foresight action seeks to bring into the discussion the broader regional development planning, business conditions and the external economic environment.

Peer Learning - Partnerships

The HMC (Hout- en Meubileringscollege)

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Website: hmcollege.nl

The HMC is enaged with the ETF in Rivne, Ukraine, to share their experience on understanding trends and possible future developments in the furniture manufacturing and woodworking sector, and ensuring that you have the students have the right skills at the right time - in support of regional competitiveness.

The HMC is an independent post-secondary vocational college where pupils are trained for a profession in the woodworking, furniture or interior design sectors in the Netherlands. Established in 1929, the HMC focuses on creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurship. The HMC has teaching locations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The school is a relatively small college (3000 students). The teachers have often worked for years or still work themselves in the field.

Over the years, extensive contacts have been built up with the industry, so the education fits well with the working practice and our pupils have a wide choice of work placements. The HMC offers mainstream education (school-based and training on the job learning programme), pursuant to the Act on education and vocational training (WEB Act). In addition, the HMC offers courses and training for employees in the sectors and a wide range of trainings for employers.

Võru County Vocational Training Center

Väimela, Estonia

Website: vkhk.ee

The Võru County Vocational Training Centre is the best internationally known and recognised education institution in Estonia, offering attractive involving and flexible teaching and supporting personal growth.

The Centre was established in 1999 and has about 570 students and 80 employees. In addition to the main buildings the school has a campus, Tech House and a Centre of Competence for Wood Processing and Furniture Manufacturing (http://tsenter.ee/en/).

the centre offers vocational education to students who just graduated 9th grade as well as those who finished high school. On some vocations, it is possible to study without having basic education and in sessional teaching as well as work-based teaching. The school actively organizes different complementary trainings to adult learners.

Skive College

Skive, Denmark

Website: Welcome to Skive College

Skive College came into existence when Skive Business School and Higher Technical College merged in 2017. The school provides more than 30 vocational educations and two kinds of upper secondary school: Higher technical examination (HTX) and Higher commercial examination (HHX). In addition, we offer a wide range of further education and courses. Skive College educations are developed in close association with business community and the institutions of higher educations. It qualifies the students for both professional career and higher education based on their potential and talent. At Skive College the emphasis is on professionalism, creativity, innovation and internationalisation.