ShiftVET- Digital Transformation for Wood and Furniture VET

ShiftVET is an Erasmus+ project that brings advanced manufacturing technologies into vocational education and training (VET) for the woodworking and furniture sectors. Through 3D printing, 3D scanning, and CNC machining, the project equips students and trainers with the digital skills needed for the workplaces of tomorrow.

Basic information

Research information

Teacher information

Description

ShiftVET (Digital Transformation for Wood and Furniture VET) is an Erasmus+ KA210-VET project dedicated to supporting the digital transformation of vocational education in the woodworking and furniture sectors.

The project addresses the growing demand for digital competencies by introducing three key Industry 4.0 technologies into VET programmes: 3D printing, 3D scanning, and CNC machining. Through collaboration between vocational schools, training providers, and sectoral organisations from across Europe, ShiftVET develops practical learning resources and innovative training approaches that make advanced technologies more accessible to both trainers and students.

Project activities include identifying training needs, creating educational materials and practical exercises, organising workshops and hands-on training sessions, and testing student projects based on real-world applications of digital manufacturing technologies. The project also promotes the exchange of good practices among European VET providers and strengthens the connection between education and labour market needs.

By enhancing the digital capabilities of learners and educators, ShiftVET contributes to more attractive, innovative, and future-oriented vocational education systems while helping prepare a skilled workforce for the woodworking and furniture industries of the future.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Basic information

Coordinator

https://cetem.es/

Partners

Programme

Erasmus+ (programme-erasmus-plus)

Project Acronym

Target groups

researchers, teachers, trainee teachers, vocational school students

Topic

Education

Start year

2025

End year

2026

Url

https://shiftvetproject.eu/

Contact person

Alejandra Losada, a.losada@cetem.es

ShiftVET has developed a comprehensive set of educational activities and open-access teaching materials to support the integration of digital manufacturing technologies into vocational education and training (VET) for the woodworking and furniture sector.

The project's educational resources focus on three key technologies: 3D printing, 3D scanning, and CNC machining. The first stage involved analysing their potential application in woodworking VET programmes and producing trainer guides that explain the technologies, their educational value, and practical ways to integrate them into classroom and workshop activities.

Based on this analysis, the project created an open repository of training resources, including a collection of existing exercises and a set of newly developed exercise templates specifically designed for EQF 3-5 learners. These exercises are accompanied by pedagogical guidelines that support teachers in implementing technology-enhanced learning activities in vocational classrooms.

To validate the materials, practical classes were organised in partner VET centres in Spain, Italy, and Latvia. Students and teachers tested the exercises using real equipment and digital tools, providing feedback that was used to improve the resources. Building on these activities, student teams developed practical projects applying the acquired skills in authentic woodworking and furniture-related challenges.

The project also produced implementation resources for VET providers, including factsheets analysing the transferability of the developed materials to other vocational sectors and an Implementation Guide containing recommendations, good practices, and lessons learned from the pilot activities.

All materials are freely available through the ShiftVET online repository and are published under an open licence to facilitate their adoption by teachers, trainers, VET centres, and other educational organisations interested in digital transformation and Industry 4.0 technologies.

ShiftVET- Digital Transformation for Wood and Furniture VET

Description

Basic information

Papers

Teaching materials