Education and training as a guarantee for sustainable employability of workforce
One of the cornerstones of the EU is to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and labour. An example is trade in goods: the same type and quality of goods can be purchased almost anywhere in Europe. International companies use the same technologies, procedures and processes in all countries. Standardisation plays a key role within. Nowadays, large-scale projects use the same techniques, materials and qualifications. Another example is the mobility on the labour market. The demand for skilled workforce raises the importance of education, training and lifelong learning in the interest of sustainable employability. To facilitate the mobility on the labour market, instruments have been developed such as the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET), etc. The EU lifelong learning programs are policy programs that encourage Member States, through financial incentives, to implement EU policies. Education and development of talents fosters economic and social participation in society. European education and training systems are one of the fundamentals to create equal opportunities on the labour market. Vocational education and training (VET) is key when managing transition to the labour market (skills for the future) and facilitating mobility programs so that learning as well as working experience can be acquired abroad.
Therefore, we encourage compatibility, transparency and mobility of vocational education and training in Europe through already successful mechanisms such, the EQF and ECVET. Together we work towards greater recognition of vocational training in the world of education and work. We are committed to raise awareness among policy makers, entrepreneurs, people management and training professionals, education associations, teachers, social partners et.al. to focus their attention to the importance of education and training as key factors for the future.
Technology and globalisation are driving change and challenge education systems to innovate and adapt to be future proof. We promote the added value of the development of the skills needed to bridge the gap between labour market needs and available qualifications, and of formal education and vocational training to enable the transition between educational systems. Promoting VET and the validation of knowledge, skills, competences (KSC) acquired through learning within education systems and in the workplace (on-the-job) are important for economical as well as social inclusion.
The second reason the Bolster-Up II project is important is the impact of the digital transformation on the wood furniture industry. We refer for this to the DIGIT-FUR project “Impacts of the digital transformation in the wood furniture industry”.
DIGIT-FUR has provided a better understanding of the possible scenario of the furniture sector due to digitization impact in 2025 and the impact on occupational profiles in relation to the changes in their tasks and related new KSC and VET needed. In the Bolster-Up II project we have incorporated the insights.