Discovering, developing and promoting skilled craftsmanship in the Walgau-Valley

Short description

The Walgau-Valley in Vorarlberg is an increasingly attractive place to live and has a growing economy as well. The economic association (WiWa) decided to actively address the issue of the recent shortage in specialized workers in the Walgau-Valley. Already children are familiarized with handicraft work and learn about the practical working aspects. The project on “Skilled craftsmanship in the Walgau-Valley” is being realized in collaboration with the interested members of the WiWa (approx.. 260 companies), the participating schools and institutions. One objective of this initiative is to strengthen the implementation of “handicraft” into school education. There is no reason why the development of a new school profile focusing on handicraft should not be enforced.  In order to make the location-independent practical working possible, mobile “handicraft-containers” (that can be transported to schools, fairs etc .) will be built and used. 

Point of departure

The Walgau-Valley is an increasingly attractive place to live and has a growing economy as well. The “Wirtschaft im Walgau gem. GmbH” has identified the need for the rapid development of new concepts and strategies to implement. Just in this way the Valley’s economic activities can be maintained and further expanded in the future.

In order to provide the future specialists with a good starting position, the current image of craftsmanship needs to be renewed. The “Wirtschaft im Walgau gem. GmbH” decided to actively address the issue of the recent shortage in specialized workers the Walgau-Valley. Already children and adolescents will be familiarized with handicraft work and will learn about the practical working aspects.

Targets and target groups

The major target of this project is the development of a feasible system to discover, develop and promote skilled craftsmanship in the Walgau-Valley. The project shall prove its success during the school years 2016/17 and 2017/18. 

On the medium term the establishment of a middle school with focus on craftsmanship shall be realized. The project will then be continued by the WiWa (apprenticeship in the Walgau-Valley) in order to ensure its future existence.  Moreover, an apprenticeship program on craftsmanship will be offered. In this way, the cultural assets, the infrastructure as well as the attractiveness of the “living space Walgau-Valley” can be safeguarded for future generations too.

The continuous co-operation of the companies, schools, parents, local partners and stakeholders is an important factor for the project’s success. The project furthermore foresees the active involvement of talented elderly people willing to contribute.

Finally, it is of high importance to actively involve boys into typical girls' work and vice versa.

Project implementation and measures

·         Children and adolescents (age 8-12) are participating to the project workshops (at the companies’ site or in the “handicraft-containers”) for at least 5 times. Workload: 2-3 hours.

·         Companies are invited to show their handicraft skills to the pupils from the participating schools.

·         The participating companies and schools as well as the parents, the local partners and the stakeholders act as development partners. They are actively involved into the workshop conception and the further implementation.

·         Refugees and migrants are also defined a target group of the project

·         By actively participating to the working projects and workshops the children can gain insight into the various areas of interest.

·         The project furthermore foresees the active involvement of talented elderly people willing to contribute. They will be present at the temporarily opened working stations.

·         The mobile “handicraft-containers” will be moved from one participating school to another.