School of Books and Crafts - a role model for the wood industry

A very interesting and useful project for Romania is the School of Books and Crafts program, based on the German model of combining theory and practice. Although this vocational training program does not directly influence the wood industry, it can serve as an inspirational model for companies in this sector.

The School of Books and Crafts is a partnership between six major companies - HORNBACH Romania, PENNY, LIDL Discount, METRO Cash & Carry Romania, SELGROS Cash & Carry and dm drogerie markt - and nine high schools in the country. The project is run under the close supervision of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania). For three years, students who choose this vocational route learn the trade of a salesperson and at the end receive an internationally recognized diploma and the opportunity to work in one of the partner companies.

The benefits are multiple, both for the economy and for young people. The retail industry gets well-trained, ready-to-work specialists, and students gain valuable experience right from school, in a solid institutional framework and with reliable partners. They receive a monthly scholarship, free transportation and lunch during their internship and acquire essential skills for a career in retail. At the end they have the clear prospect of a stable job.

The School of Books and Crafts takes place in 7 cities across the country:

• Brasov - National Economic College "Andrei Bararseanu"
• Bucharest - "Dragomir Hurmuzescu" Technological High School
• Cluj-Napoca - "Iulian Pop" Economic College
• Constanța - Commercial College "Carol I"
• Oradea - Economic College "Partenie Cosma"
• Sibiu - "George Barițiu" Economic College
• Timisoara - "Emanuil Ungureanu" Technical College

Registration is at the end of the 8th grade or until the age of 26, in two periods: July 1-5, 2024 and August 2-5, 2024. The file includes a standard application form, pre-registration form, copies of birth certificate, identity card of the candidate and parents or legal guardian (plus court judgment if applicable), and the transcript of marks.

After the submission of the application, a meeting with the representatives of the partner companies follows, between July 8-16 and August 6-8, 2024. This is where the compatibility between the student and the company where he/she will intern for the 3 years is established.

The program itself lasts 3 years and includes both theory and practice. Year I is 20% practical, year II - 60%, and year III - over 70%. The practicals take place in partner companies' stores, where students learn all the usual processes - from customer counseling and selling to receiving goods, inventory, merchandising or payments. The students receive a monthly 600 lei scholarship, transportation and lunch during the internship. After 3 years, they come out specialized as sales-trainees, with an internationally recognized diploma, solid experience and the prospect of immediate employment in the company where they were apprenticed.

The same model could very well be applied in the wood industry. Vocational colleges in the sector could partner with manufacturers and professional organizations such as ASFOR or APMR to set up a similar programme. Companies would benefit from future specialized employees trained early on and students would secure a solid career path. Programs such as the School of Books and Crafts I hope are already on the agenda of employers' associations, because they provide both the well-trained workforce that the wood industry needs, and direction and hope for young people.