Disabled people an emerging market niche
The care and support of elderly and disabled people is a very emerging market niche for the
furniture sector. In order to cover the requirements of this group, more and more furniture organizations are focusing on this market even integrating AAL (Ambient Assisted Living) systems in their final products producing what is called Smart Support Furniture. However, it has been found that most of the furniture manufacturers do not have a staff with skilled employees for designing and manufacturing products for this sector according to the specific safety and mechanical needs (CE marked, ISO Standards, etc) that these products must accomplish in order to fulfil legal and safety requirements for European and International Markets.
The new demand of an AAL-integrated Habitat
The main objective of VETAAL is to address the challenges of the vocational skill mismatch that the new demand of an AAL-integrated Habitat has produced, by the development and validation of a harmonized European curriculum based on the principles of The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training ( ECVET) in the area of design and manufacture of Smart Support Furniture (furniture for the care and support of both elderly and disabled people) that integrates e-learning and face-to-face learning to the benefit of experts working in the furniture sector or preparing to enter the labour market and to improve lifelong learning.
What?
To integrate AAL (Ambient Assisted Living) systems in furniture producing Smart Support Furniture.
How?
Training staff from furniture manufacturer sector to turn them into skilled employees for designing and manufacturing products.
Why?
To be in accordance with specific safety and needs (CE marked, ISO Standards). To fulfil legal and safety requirements for European and International Markets.
Specific objectives of the VETAAL project
- Define skills needs in the field of AAL and requirements for designing and manufacturing Smart Support Furniture for Ambient Assisted Living.
- Design and develop a Joint Curriculum on Smart Support Furniture for Ambient Assisted Living by implementing innovative methods in e-learning and face-to-face learning.
- Develop a Multilingual e-Learning Platform for teaching the remote learning part.
- Involve VET policy makers contributing to the outcome dissemination to guidance services, representative organisations as well as to relevant national, regional or local authorities, exploiting the project outcomes and recognizing it as a standard VET model, which will ensure a high impact on VET policies.
- Develop a Memorandum of Understanding: Defining criteria for memorandum of understanding and recognition of learning outcomes and concluding a Memorandum of Understanding to shape future operational partnerships between partners.
- Develop Draft training recommendations that can be adopted by training institutions in all European countries