About EUROPA-MEISTER

Project summary

The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) sees the future of professional competences and skills embedded in a major European quality development. This means, that in line with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the individual professional qualifications must be presented accordingly.

An important consequence of a uniform framework formation lies in the importance of a reliable allocation of competencies and skills in the respective professional branches, which reflect the level of training. It is crucial that all forms of education and training are recorded consistently. Formal education is meant here, as it happens in the classic school education, as well as the professional education, which we know from the proven form of the dual system.

It can thus be formulated as a uniform goal that the education and training paths can be clearly structured and assigned to the eight possible levels.
This should happen here for the professional branch and the craft painting and coating technology.
It is a question of assigning the master qualification to level six of the National Qualifications Framework.

A major goal of the project should be to certify and authenticate the high professional qualifications of the painting trade at European level.

The Erasmus+ project from the vocational training division should create the necessary basis to be able to offer a uniform European level of training, taking the individual national interests into account.

The particular challenge here is of course the desired level six in the European Qualifications Framework.

This means that the high level of craftsmanship in the painting and coating technology profession with regard to all necessary skills and competencies can be recognized by the UNIEP (International Association of Painting Contractors) in Brussels in the future.

The prerequisites for the EUROPA-MEISTER of the craft must be created.

In concrete terms, this means that the stated aim of the project is to create a EUROPEAN MEISTERBRIEF in the painting trade.

The respective national forms of training in the partner countries form the basis for uniform masterly training.

An important basic idea of the joint project work can be seen in the fact that what is common and what connects traditional crafts is always in the foreground and becomes a transnational self-image.

All participating European countries are aware that the craft of painting has a long and successful history which documents a wide range of qualifications and skills.

Newly developing societal demands and technical innovations require constant further development which can be promoted in a very sustainable way by appropriate harmonization of the forms of training.

The field of activity of the craft thus extends beyond the national borders to the common area of the European Union.

Our project, to become an EUROPA-MEISTER of the craft, was planned with a multi-step approach.

Five stages or partial targets are to be achieved:

Description of a competence profile for the painting trade in level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework

This consists of a basic matrix of common units of learning outcomes and country-specific supplements. The learning outcomes are described in the form of knowledge, skills and competences. All country-specific technical standards, notices and legal frameworks are observed.

Creation of a multilingual competency profile in the Skillsbank database

The competency matrix created in stage 1 is entered as a second step in accordance with ECVET and EQR criteria in Skillsbank. Skillsbank works multilingually. Therefore, the second step is used to simultaneously create versions of the competency matrix in all country languages of the project partners involved.

Description of procedures / guidelines for the cooperation of European master schools (network) for the Painter’s craft, to enable Meister apprentices from the European countries to acquire the EUROPEAN MEISTERBRIEF

After the creation of the basics (competency description) in the first two stages it is described how the competencies described can be acquired by participants (Meister apprentices) in order to receive the EUROPEAN MEISTERBRIEF. There is a network of complementary European master schools to be established. Procedures and guidelines must be defined for their cooperation. These include, inter alia, definitions regarding the implementation of E-Learning and mobility abroad within the framework of the Meister training . Participating Meister schools demonstrate how far they can implement the required content. Missing content is supplemented in cooperation with suitable partners in the network.

Development of an E-Learning course system for cross-border Meistertraining and pilot test (“EUROPA-WALZ”) with selected Meister apprentices

EUROPEAN MEISTERBRIEF, awarded and approved by UNIEP

The last stage and the project objective is the EUROPEAN MEISTERBRIEF. For this purpose, an examination or control commission is created, which consists of members of different European countries who are appointed by UNIEP. Uniform results control and uniform regulations are carried out. UNIEP will establish and apply the EUROPEAN MEISTER / MEISTERBRIEF as a quality label. The EUROPA-MEISTER will serve as a model for other craft trades.

What is the benefit for learners and training facilities?

Learners and specialists in the painting trade are given the opportunity to participate attractive training sections with simultaneous language acquisition abroad. This also includes the ability to work on an international level. The skills acquired at level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) promote Meister-education in all European countries and enable recognition of the Meister-title across Europe.
Meister-schools and specialist training facilities experience one internationalization and profiling as attractive training centers in one European network act.

Which content framework should be represented in the quality matrix?

Main areas of activity and their relation to the qualification framework Nieveau 6 of the Meister-Craftsmanship first clearly show how diverse the competence of Meisters in the craft of painting, coating technology and the related business actually is. The following topics are principally described in the quality matrix:

Qualification field Business Management

The main focus here is on the areas:

1. Corporate management with a focus on content such as: Corporate concepts, corporate goals, corporate culture and entrepreneurial strategies.

1. Company analysis in the context of market, location and competition.
2. The establishment of companies or takeover and company participation but also the important question of planning a corporate succession.
3. The entire topic of companies and cooperation.
4. Of course, possible aspects such as: Insolvency proceedings, reorganization and liquidation.

Another qualification field in Business Management includes organizational aspects.

2. Structure and process organization in Business Management

1. Organizational structure (task analysis, job creation, organizational form and their development)
2. Process organization and associated important strategic instruments and their environment such as process analysis and process design, logistics and suitable working time models
3. Essential areas such as administrative and office organization in everyday business life.

Entrepreneurs know that there are key areas that are largely responsible for operational success. This brings us to the next qualification field:

3. Accounting, financing and controlling.

The success strategy now names us as another qualification field:

4. Marketing, communication and sales.

Being an entrepreneur also includes skills in:

5. Personalmanagement

1. Personnel planning, management and of course development
2. Remuneration
3. Leadership
4. Vocational and work pedagogy.

The following area of competence is rather to be classified as complex and is also configured by the respective national requirements and circumstances.

6. Legal aspects of business administration and entrepreneurship

1. Legal forms, social contract and legal systems
2. The area of commercial law
3. Labor and social law
4. Receivables management
5. European law and law in Europe.

Masterly skills have always been closely related to the qualifications that the actual management requires.

7. Quality management (QM) and especially health, environment and of course aspects of safety

1. QM systems
2. Quality assurance
3. Health protection and occupational safety
4. Environmental protection.

Profession-specific skills in the painting trade

Here are the actual fields of manual competence which of course are seen in the training as a basic requirement for masterly work. It is certainly also important here that in addition to the description of competencies, the actual skills come into focus. The two following fields of competence can be understood and presented in a connected perspective.

1. Technical theory

1. Object technology
2. Object design
3. Order processing.

2. Practice

1. Project planning
2. Draft drawing and color design conventional and extended by IT support
3. Painting and design
4. Technical functional coatings
5. Interior design
6. “Historical painting techniques” and monument preservation.

The last area of competence includes competences and skills that can also be seen in a cultural context, when it says:

3. General education

1. Digitization with a focus on applied computer science in the company
2. The language in the environment of an entrepreneurial culture.