Con With this purpose in mind, INSCA has signed a dual training agreement with the IES Politècnic in Castellón.
This afternoon, students from the professional family for Wood, Furniture and Cork visited the INSCA facilities to find out about the production processes for the company’s commercial furniture and equipment.
The visit was set up due to the new agreement signed by INSCA and the IES Politècnic in Castellón in order to commence the dual training at the company. In this way, students from the middle and upper years can undergo a practical voluntary training of 400 hours within the company’s facilities.
The company manager, Pascual Ibáñez, personally welcomed the students and accompanied them on their tour of the factory. “Our sector is undergoing a digital transformation and needs a highly-qualified human workforce, which is why we are placing our installations and INSCA’s personnel at the Institute’s disposal in order to contribute towards your practical training, so that you can complete the studies with a good foundation and gain more hours of experience”,
In turn, David López, from the IES Politécnico, emphasised the importance of the dual training agreement for the students: “Until now, students only carried out 400 hours of practice for their FCT (Formación en Centro de Trabajo – Work Placement). However, with the dual training, they can carry out 800 hours and start gaining experience during their training period right from the first year”.
Currently, the agreement is awaiting approval from the autonomic authority. It is foreseen that students will start their dual training at INSCA from May 2022. In this way, next year, those who want to can carry out 200 hours of dual training at the INSCA facilities, “which will allow them to acquire competencies for the trade”, highlights Elisa Pérez, the company’s Human Resources Manager.
Un A sector on the rise, a very sought-after profession
The art of moulding wood may have started around seven thousand years ago. And if carpentry is one of the oldest professions in existence, it is also a good professional career today.
There does not tend to be any unemployment in carpentry today, mainly due to the current expansion within the woodworking sector, the participation in the green revolution and the specialisation of an artisan trade which is now being developed in modern facilities.
INSCA is the largest carpentry industry in the province of Castellón. “Our sector is in full growth and professionality contributes to this increase. It’s not about recruiting operatives to work on the assembly lines, but about artisan experts who now work in facilities with key technology, which does not make it easy to find qualified staff”, explains company manager, Pascual Ibáñez.
Previously, the trade was learned in actual carpentry, but today, the production process is much more complex. The art of turning the wood into furniture demands technical, mathematical and mechanical knowledge, as well as knowledge of the materials, and manual dexterity, ability to organise, critical thinking and, of course, vocation”.
“Now there is more demand for degree-level students, both in the secondary and upper levels, companies are constantly in touch with us and we could say that there is 100% employment, as all students that want to join the labour market after completing their studies do so without any problems”, López explains.
Students from the middle grades train to work in the workshops and manufacturing plants, however, those from the upper grades of Design and Furnishing are more versatile, as they can enter either the technical department or the workshop. “INSCA is a company that awakens a great deal of interest in students because it has both options, including highly-trained professionals who will help and guide them at all times”, explains the company’s Human Resources Manager.
IINSCA offers the students the possibility of carrying out these practices both in the different sectors of the workshop and in the technical office. In the technical office, general and detailed plans are created for the designed spaces, as well as for each of the units manufactured. It is important for the students or future candidates to know about each phase of the production process and the materials involved.
La The level of professionality required by INSCA
The leading company in commercial equipment is continually incorporating new members into their teams.
“We are incorporating both experienced persons as well as those in training and, in this way, we are balancing the different sections. At INSCA, we have always championed workforce stability, as we know that the team is essential to maintaining the high standards of quality that we offer,” explains the Human Resources Manager.
In this sense, the dual training path is a positive step both for the students and for the company, as it allows them to acquire practical experience in the facilities while being part of the whole process. “Our internal training plan is designed so that they learn about the different materials and raw materials, looking at different plans and drawings and working with innovative programmes. But, above all, that they get to know the reality of the manufacturing process, its machinery and tools, as well as the different types of mountings” Pérez points out.
It is worth noting that INSCA was one of the companies that created many employment opportunities after the 2008 crisis. “At that time, many carpentry firms had to close their businesses and many professionals were left without work, and we incorporated them into our team.” explains Ibáñez.
¿Por qué el sector de la madera se perfila como una de las mejores salidas laborales en la acWhy is the woodworking sector defined as one of the best career opportunities today?
The carpentry profession has evolved greatly over the past two decades. For example, digital transformation and the implementation of mechanised systems have been INSCA’s main objectives in recent years. A transformation that maintains its artisan core. And in this sense, the competencies incorporated into the Professional Training modules of the Wood, Furniture and Cork family will prepare the students to join industrialised companies within the sector.
Specialisation is the ley principle today, even to the extent that there are very specific studies and profiles for the different disciplines. From working with ebony to the mechanisation with numerically controlled machinery, processes, mounting and installation, design, finishes, processes and transformation of the wood, are just a few examples.
All the transformations carried out within the sector have enabled the improvement of productivity within companies, as they are now ready to become the big players in a world that values sustainability and the circular economy.
Wood is considered to be the primary material for the 21st century. The wood we work on at INSCA, for example, comes from sustainable operations or sustainable forests.
In the next 5 years, it is foreseen that the wood industry will need to incorporate a large number of professionals with a high level of expertise. At INSCA, we want to encourage carpenters to be part of the challenge that we are facing.
Lorena Rodriguez