Mains objectves Bolster-Up 2
The Bolster-Up 2 project aimed at recognizing qualifications and competencies in three professions in the (industrial) furniture sector, cabinetmaking, upholstery, joining, by enhancing their transparency and comparability, and establishing mutually recognized European core profiles.
Project aims
The pinning idea is that the concept of European core profiles would work as a very good tool for guaranteeing minimum training standards, without the need of standardizing the different systems. These core profiles support the activities to raise the quality of existing national VET programs by contributing to mobility through recognition of the identified common core profiles within Europe.
This project contributes to the political goal of further fostering cooperation between national stakeholders at European level and supporting the need to modernise occupations and VET-structures.
The three professions are chosen as they represent the major group of the skilled handicraft workers in this sector. Most skilled handicraft workers are specialised in one material, e.g. wood, upholstery. Due to automation and robotisation in the production of furniture, there are new challenges regarding job profiles, e.g. in terms of technical, more complex and higher skills as well as soft skills. The education and training systems have to take these changes into account, by updating occupational profiles and taking them on board in new curricula. Employees and enterprises of the sector are required to take part in lifelong learning to keep up-to-date and secure their employability.
The outcome of the Bolster-Up 2 project is a report including the description of the three core profiles for cabinetmaker, upholsterer and joiner, providing for each phase of the work a description of the knowledge, skills and competences required to perform tasks in the different countries.
On the 29 September 2020, we held the project's final conference. You can see it here.