Article by Roberta Capozucca, Communication officer at Materahub
From October 20th to 24th, our own Paolo Montemurro and Becky Riches took part in the international study visit of the Erasmus+ funded MOSAIC project—Mastering Job-Oriented Skills in Arts & Crafts through Inclusive Centres of Vocational Excellence.
But let’s start from the beginning.
On October 20, our team embarked on a transatlantic journey to Victoriaville, Quebec, to participate in the international study visit of the Erasmus+ funded MOSAIC project—Mastering Job-Oriented Skills in Arts & Crafts through Inclusive Centres of Vocational Excellence: a project that aims to future-proof vocational education for Arts & Crafts by connecting them with design and industry. With 15 partners, it seeks to provide high-quality skills for meaningful employment in a sustainable, inclusive economy.
Hosted by Cégep de Victoriaville, this event was organised to bring together European and Canadian partners in exploring innovative models that seamlessly merge research, education, and industry. During the visit, we were welcomed by two cornerstone organisations: INOVEM, the Centre of Innovation for the furniture and wood industry, and the École Nationale du meuble et de l’ébénisterie (ENME). Together, they embody a uniquely French-Canadian approach to public-private partnership, one that fuels regional innovation and elevates educational excellence.
Learning from Canadian Sustainability and Innovation Practices
This model thrives on close collaboration with industries—not only to equip future employees with skills finely tuned to meet business demands, but also to deliver dedicated research and development projects designed specifically to drive these companies forward. INOVEM and ENME gave us a firsthand look at how this model works and explained to us that many industries’ representatives also hold board positions at INOVEM, helping shape research and training programs to align with market demands.
Canadian Vocational Educational Training’s unique model is rooted in integrating industry, educators, and researchers all working together, creating a feedback loop that fuels both innovation and practical, market-ready skills.
Quebec’s industry and educational leaders repeatedly shared that their commitment to sustainability has also shifted how they think about product design, prompting them to explore new ways to reuse industrial wood waste in products, thus pushing forward the circular economy. It’s inspiring to see sustainability that not only reduces waste but also stimulates innovation that has a real market value.
Help me to say wow!
Building Bridges for European Vocational Excellence
Our study visit to Quebec was a journey into the future and a look into the untapped potential of vocational education—a powerful reminder of how transformative Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) can be. Seeing Quebec’s model in action confirmed that Europe is on the right track, even though our CoVE journey began only recently in 2020, with early pilot projects like Materahub’s DEUS initiative.
One major takeaway from Quebec was the essential role of public funding and policy. Quebec’s CoVEs benefit from long-term, strategic investments that enable growth and adaptability; this public-private collaboration ensures that their model remains both sustainable and responsive.
For us in Europe, the challenge will be to create similar conditions that offer CoVEs the structural and financial support they need. Public-private partnerships, we realized, are key to bringing this model to life within our context.
The Quebec experience also reinforced a belief we’ve long held: education and industry can no longer operate in silos. Vocational programs must align with market demands, preparing students and employers with relevant skills and practical solutions.
This visit presented a compelling vision for vocational education in Europe—one that goes beyond training to foster community-focused initiatives in sustainability and inclusion, strengthened by partnerships with industry and private stakeholders. Inspired by Quebec, Materahub is returning with renewed purpose to establish European CoVEs that connect education, industry, and community impact.
Achieving this vision will require deepening our collaboration with industry and private companies in CoVEs. The MOSAIC project has shown the potential impact of even one dedicated partner, and we’re confident that building strong partnerships with at least three companies in each initiative will be vital for long-term success.
