The Tuscany Region, with a view to strengthening skills and supporting youth autonomy, is launching an important training initiative in the artistic wood craftsmanship sector. Funded by the European Union as part of the NextGenerationEU program and promoted by ANPAL and the Tuscany Region through the GiovaniSì project, an innovative course for the certification of skills in “Finishing and adaptation of artistic craftsmanship products (UC 2021)” and “Planning and organization of the phases of artistic processing (UC 2023)” is being launched.
The program is organized by a partnership of accredited entities, including Assoservizi S.r.l., Eurobic Toscana SUD S.r.l., C.P.I.A. 1 SIENA – Poggibonsi, Scuola Edile – C.P.T. Siena, CSM – Toscana, and Formimpresa. With a limited number of places (8 to 11 students), the course aims to issue an EQF Level 3 skills certificate, providing essential technical and professional knowledge and abilities for the sector.
Course Content and Structure
The program is divided into various training units, totalling 146 hours of classroom instruction and 96 hours of internships at companies in the sector.
The topics covered are:
- Elements of organization and worker safety (16 hours)
- Technical drawing (30 hours)
- Main methods of planning, processing, finishing, maintenance, and repair of artistic artifacts (30 hours)
- Main wood materials and their derivatives, technical terminology of the sector, hints of material history, and sector communication (24 hours)
- Use of accessories, tools, implements, and machinery (24 hours)
- DigiComp 2.1 (22 hours)
Lessons will be held Monday to Friday, with a maximum of 8 hours per day, within the time slot of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The mandatory attendance rate is 70% of the total hours, of which at least 50% must be internship hours.
Acquired Skills and Employment Opportunities
At the end of the program, students will have acquired the necessary skills to ensure the aesthetic and functional adaptation of wooden furniture products, plan work phases, prepare workspaces, and verify tools and machinery for the creation of artistic artifacts. This professional figure, specializing in the finishing phase of wooden artifacts, will be able to find employment in companies in the wood-furniture sector or in artisan companies that perform finishing and decoration work for third parties, particularly in the economic and productive context of the Sienese Valdelsa.
Who Can Participate?
The course is aimed at various categories of beneficiaries, including:
- Beneficiaries of social safety nets (both with and without an employment relationship, such as recipients of NASPI or DIS-COLL).
- Recipients of the “Reddito di Cittadinanza” (Citizenship Income).
- Fragile or vulnerable workers, including NEET young people (under 30), disadvantaged women, people with disabilities, and mature workers (55 years and over).
- Unemployed individuals without income support (unemployed for at least six months), other workers with fewer employment opportunities, and self-employed workers whose activity has ceased or with very low incomes.
The minimum access requirements include having reached the age of 16 with the fulfilment of compulsory education and training (three-year professional qualification) or having reached the age of 18. For foreign citizens, knowledge of the Italian language at Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required. It is also possible to request recognition of credits upon entry according to the procedures outlined in DGR 251/2023, provided that the request is made before or at the beginning of the course.
Attendance Allowance and Final Certification
An attendance allowance of €3.50 per course hour (calculated only on classroom and synchronous FAD hours) is provided for unemployed individuals over 55 who have reached that age at the time of enrolment. This allowance, paid at the end of the project and only for the first course attended, is granted to participants who obtain the final certification, with a maximum limit of €250. Recipients of the “Reddito di Cittadinanza” and beneficiaries of social safety nets due to involuntary unemployment or during an employment relationship are excluded from the allowance.
The course will be carried out by CSM – Toscana and will take place at the classrooms and laboratories in Drove n° 15 in Poggibonsi (SI). Intermediate learning verification tests and a final exam consisting of a written test, a technical-practical test, and an individual interview are planned. To be admitted to the final exam, participants must have attended at least 70% of the total course hours, including at least 50% of the internship hours.
At the end of the activities, a Certificate of Competencies for UC 2021 and UC 2023 will be issued. For students who do not pass the exam or who withdraw from the course, a declaration of learning will be issued, as provided for by Dgr 251/2023. A declaration of learning will also be issued for the DigiComp training unit.
How to Enrol?
The course is funded through PNRR funds, within the GOL program. To enrol, two phases are required:
- Phase 1 – Access to the GOL Program: interested individuals must enrol in the GOL program exclusively at the Employment Centres in the Tuscan territory. Here, each beneficiary will be directed to a specific path based on the results of the orientation. If directed towards Upskilling or Reskilling measures, the beneficiary can proceed to the next phase.
- Phase 2 – Course Enrolment: once directed towards one of the two measures, the beneficiary can enrol in the course by going to an Employment Centre or a Job Agency.
This is a unique opportunity to acquire specialized skills in a sector with a strong tradition and employment potential. It is an opportunity not to be missed to undertake a training path that can open new professional doors in the heart of Tuscany.
Please consult the brochure for all information.