Qualifications Framework level

EQF level

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).


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LQF level

Latvian Qualifications Framework (LQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).

LQF covers stages of education starting from the basic education (level 1 – special basic education) to the highest education (level 8 – doctoral studies).


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5

Level of professional qualification
Latvia has a system of five professional qualifications levels (PQL, 1 – the lowest, 5 – the highest).

PQL system covers only professional qualifications (basic education, secondary and higher education stages).

PQL reflects readiness of a person to perform work of certain stage of complexity and responsibility.
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4

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are knowledge, skills and competences acquired during a certain period of learning.

In Latvia, learning outcomes are stipulated by state education standards and occupational standards (for the professional qualifications).

Learning outcomes of higher education are defined by higher education institutions.


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Learning outcomes are formulated in accordance with the relevant occupational standard and the strategic objectives of educational programmes outlined in the state standard of first level professional higher education. For more information, see the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 141 “Regulations on the state standard of first level professional higher education” (adopted on 20.03.2001):  Read standard. Occupational standards:  Occupational standards register

Woodworking technologist

  • Knowledge

    Professional knowledge
    At the level of understanding:
    1. Means of production and inputs.
    2. Business planning.
    3. Basic principles of management.
    4. Stages and types of production process.
    5. Process management methods.
    6. Communication methods.
    7. Decision-making.
    8. Quality management systems and principles.
    9. Quality risks and costs.
    10. Basic principles of business accounting.
    11. Methods for analysing economic performance.
    12. Concept of product quality.
    13. Impact of technological parameters on product quality.
    14. Safety culture.
    15. Environment protection.
    16. Basic principles of chemicals, waste management and environmental protection.
    17. Wood cutting processes in pre-processing.
    18. Marketing of wood materials in pre-processing.
    19. Wood cutting processes in further processing.
    20. Marketing of wood-based materials for further processing.
    21. Design of wood products and building structures.
    22. Application of technical graphics in woodworking.
    23. Cost and revenue concepts in microeconomics.
    24. Marketing of wood products.
    25. Fire and civil protection organisation and legislation.
    26. Principles of fire protection systems.
    27. Innovation in technology and materials.
    28. Project management.
    29. Wood product design.
    30. Methods for analysing production performance.
    31. Performance criteria for production and employee efficiency.
    32. Lean principles in manufacturing.
    33. Interaction theories.
    34. Nature and role of human resource management in an organisation.
    35. Leadership principles.
    36. Crisis management.
    37. Change management.
    38. Labour safety and electrical safety legislation and general principles.
    39. Ergonomics basics.
    40. Theories of employee motivation.
    At the level of use:
    1. Resource planning methods.
    2. Production workload planning.
    3. Production planning tools.
    4. Principles of the operation of an organisation.
    5. Organising the execution of works.
    6. Methods and tools for controlling production processes.
    7. Information processing and analysis tools.
    8. Information processing and analysis tools.
    9. Principles of document production and management.
    10. Product quality requirements.
    11. Causes of product defects, manufacturing non-conformities and how to remedy them.
    12. Quality control methods.
    13. Standardisation, metrology and certification.
    14. Working safely with chemicals and mixtures used in woodworking.
    15. Environmental compliance in a wood processing plant.
    16. Tree species, structure and characteristics.
    17. Science of forest commodities.
    18. Wood processing machinery and tools.
    19. Hydrothermal treatment processes for wood.
    20. Sawn timber production.
    21. Manufacture of wood-based panels.
    22. Operation of technological and transport equipment.
    23. Recycling of wood residues.
    24. Wood materials.
    25. Adhesives and finishing materials.
    26. Woodworking machinery and tools.
    27. Manufacture of carpentry products and furniture.
    28. Wood and wood product finishing.
    29. Mechanical and chemical treatment of wood.
    30. Computer-aided design software.
    31. Standards applicable to forestry and wood processing.
    32. Cost structure and calculation methods.
    33. Labour productivity (labour intensity) assessment.Information processing and analysis tools.
    34. Fire safety requirements in timber production and storage facilities and areas.
    35. Development of technical and technological projects.
    36. Woodworking process modelling.
    37. Information technology applications in wood processing.
    38. Methods of production organisation.
    39. Methods for measuring effectiveness.
    40. Company culture.
    41. Labour law regulations on working and rest time.
    42. Work organisation in a company.
    43. Effective communication.
    44. Working in a team.
    45. Conflict management strategies.
    46. Labour safety requirements in woodworking.
    47. Safe working practices in woodworking processes.
    48. Practical measures to improve staff motivation and performance.
    49. Reward systems in an organisation.
    General knowledge
    At the level of perception:
    1. Organisation of a labour protection system.
    At the level of understanding:
    1. Linguistic culture.
    2. Verbal and non-verbal communication.
    3. Mathematical analysis methods
    4. Principles of ICT (storage media, information systems and equipment) application.
    5. Protection of commercial information and personal data.
    6. Principles of electronic document circulation.
    7. Planning and decision-making.
    8. Opportunities to develop competences.
    9. Social and political structure of society.
    10. Social diversity and the principle of equality.
    11. Intercultural communication.
    12. Principles of circular economy and sustainability.
    13. Research milestones.
    14. Basic principles of data processing.
    At the level of use:
    1. Requirements of the laws, regulations and standards governing the field.
    2. Documents governing legal employment relations.
    3. Regulatory documents and standards governing civil and environmental protection.
    4. Emergency response.
    5. First aid.
    6. Appropriate vocabulary.
    7. Functional grammar
    8. Professional terminology.
    9. Basic principles of statistics.
    10. Engineering terms, concepts and relationships applied to woodworking.
    11. Statistical data analysis.
    12. Information technology in woodworking processes.
    13. ICT and data security.
    14. Selecting information, drafting documents and processing data in accordance with the work assignment. Working with office equipment, information and communication systems.
    15. Self-assessment mechanisms.
    16. Personal growth, career and work progress planning.
    17. Time management.
    18. Business communication.
    19. General and professional ethics.
    20. Forest policy and the place of the forest sector in the economy.
    21. Applied research methods.
    22. Data processing applications.

  • Skills

    Professional skills and attitudes
    1. Contribute to the planning of a business unit’s tasks.
    2. Cascade tasks to achieve the set objectives.
    3. Choose the most efficient methods for carrying out the work.
    4. Break down tasks into process operations and workstations.
    5. Ensure stocks of necessary materials.
    5. Communicate with clients and colleagues.
    6. Keep records of production (stocks).
    7. Compare actual production figures with planned ones.
    8. Analyse resource consumption.
    9. Analyse downtime and other factors affecting production.
    10. Control order in production areas.
    10 . Summarise and analyse the economic and financial performance indicators of a company’s structural unit.
    11. Verify that raw materials meet specifications.
    12. Check that a product meets the quality requirements (surface quality, linear parameters, wood moisture, application of glue or finishing materials, etc.) at all stages of the process.
    13. Develop quality assessment procedures.
    14. Apply standardised testing methods in accordance with relevant standards, laws, regulations and other regulatory provisions.
    15. Monitor the chain of custody of chemicals.
    16. Control polluting activities.
    17. Ensure compliance with production waste management requirements.
    18. Prepare process equipment and machine tools, auxiliary equipment and cutting tools.
    19. Develop technological regimes of production.
    20. Ensure that equipment is operated and maintained according to established technological regimes.
    21. Choose transport equipment and machinery.
    22. Draw up a rational sawing plan for sawlogs.
    23. Calculate the parameters of wood drying regimes.
    24. Control the compliance of technological processes.
    25. Compile a process flow for machining and finishing of parts, assembly units and products.
    26. Select and prepare the machines, attachments and cutting tools to be used.
    27. Ensure maintenance of equipment.
    28. Choose the timber and other materials to be used.
    29. Develop mechanical and chemical processing, gluing and finishing regimes.
    30. Control the compliance of technological processes.
    31. Develop process flow charts and maps.
    32. Develop technological instructions.
    33. Prepare safe operating instructions for the equipment.
    34. Produce and process drawings of wood products.
    35. Apply appropriate standards and regulatory rules.
    36. Calculate the cost of products.
    37. Calculate the consumption of materials and other resources.
    38. Calculate consumption norms of auxiliary materials used in production.
    39. Evaluate the operational economic indicators of the production process.
    40. Monitor the compliance of process equipment with fire safety requirements during operation.
    41. Monitor compliance with fire safety instructions.
    42. Promote the introduction of new technologies in production.
    43. Design process flows for specific woodworking tasks.
    44. Select or calculate process parameters.
    45. Identify risks to effectiveness. Identify issues that need and can be improved.
    46. Make proposals to improve the organisation of work.
    47. Ensure rational and efficient use of production resources.
    48. Plan work and allocate responsibilities promptly.
    49. Introduce employees with the tasks, expected results and technological instructions for the work to be carried out.
    50. Supervise work discipline.
    51. Ensure records of work done.
    52. Promote teamwork.
    53. Ensure effective communication.
    54. Resolve conflict situations in a team.
    55. Monitor compliance with labour protection requirements, including the use of personal protective equipment, at various stages of the technological process.
    56. Introduce safe working practices to employees.
    57. Participate in workplace risk assessments.
    58. Control the quality of own work and that of the team.
    59. Introduce remuneration conditions to staff.
    60. Motivate staff.
    61. Identify staff training needs.
    General skills and attitudes
    1. Understand the requirements of the laws and regulations governing the field.
    2. Comply with the laws and regulations necessary to address the problem.
    3. Comply with the standards appropriate to the field.
    4. Comply with labour protection requirements.
    5. Provide first aid.
    6. Comply with labour laws.
    7. Organise the workplace in accordance with the requirements of labour protection.
    8. Identify potential risks when carrying out work tasks.
    9. Keep up to date with changes to laws and regulations.
    10. Comply with civil protection requirements.
    11. Comply with environmental protection requirements.
    12. Communicate orally and in writing in a variety of professional situations in the national language and in at least one foreign language.
    13. Adapt one’s communication to the demands of the situation.
    14. Logically debate and argue one’s point of view.
    15. Ensure the provision of correct, intelligible information in accordance with the literary language norms.
    16. Independently develop knowledge of a foreign language(s).
    17. Perform calculations necessary to carry out work.
    18. Understand relationships when carrying out work tasks.
    19. Choose the most appropriate information and communication technology solution for the task.
    20. Perform text processing, work with spreadsheets, databases, information storage and management.
    21. Use information and communication technologies to communicate and search for information.
    22. Assess one’s professional experience and level of professional competence.
    23. Plan own professional development and career opportunities.
    24. Adhere to cultural and professional standards of communication.
    25. Argue and defend own opinion.
    26. Prepare and publish presentation materials.
    27. Be tolerant of differences of opinion.
    28. Find compromises.
    29. Manage stress in social communication.
    30. Think critically and creatively.
    31. Act responsibly in crisis situations.
    32. Ensure the progress of research.
    33. Perform data selection and processing.
    34. Analyse the results and prepare a research report.
    35. Visualise data.

  • Competences/ autonomy

    Professional competences
    1. Ability to plan and take operational production management decisions.
    2. Ability to choose the most appropriate management methods.
    3. Ability to organise and coordinate work and work with others.
    4. Ability to implement operational work processes in accordance with production plans.
    5. Ability to analyse and ensure rational use of resources.
    6. Ability to structure and analyse economic activity information.
    7. Ability to ensure the quality of the product produced.
    8. Ability to select and use appropriate control methods and measuring instruments.
    9. Ability to recognise and address quality non-conformance risks.
    10. Ability to monitor compliance with environmental protection requirements.
    11. Ability to consult safety data sheets for chemicals and mixtures used in the production process.
    12. Ability to understand and manage technological processes for wood pre-treatment.
    12. Ability to perform and evaluate technological and economic calculations.
    13. Ability to use specialised computer software.
    14. Ability to understand and manage woodworking processes.
    15. Ability to perform and evaluate technological and economic calculations.
    16. Ability to use specialised computer software.
    17. Ability to read and prepare technical documentation.
    18. Ability to work with computer-aided design software.
    19. Ability to perform and evaluate economic and technical calculations.
    20. Ability to organise work in accordance with the specific fire safety requirements of woodworking production and material storage.
    21. Ability to plan the execution of reconstruction and renovation projects in the woodworking process.
    22. Ability to monitor the compliance of implementation with the project.
    23. Ability to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of new products.
    24. Ability to apply design thinking.
    25. Ability to identify opportunities for improvement.
    26. Ability to make proposals for improving performance.
    27. Ability to communicate and argue practical issues and solutions.
    28. Ability to develop proposals for better use of resources.
    29. Ability to organise staff.
    30. Ability to communicate effectively.
    31. Ability to understand the company’s HR strategy.
    32. Ability to build effective teams.
    33. Ability to resolve conflict and lead a team through a crisis or planned change.
    34. Ability to organise the work of employees in compliance with labour protection requirements at various stages of the woodworking process.
    35. Ability to choose appropriate human resources management methods.
    36. Ability to give constructive feedback.
    General competences
    1. Ability to work effectively as part of a team in the performance of professional tasks.
    2. Ability to understand and comply with the requirements of the relevant laws and regulations.
    3. Ability to comply with the requirements of labour relations, labour protection, civil protection, environmental protection and fire safety.
    4. Ability to carry out work tasks in compliance with labour protection requirements.
    5. Ability to communicate using professional terminology and distinguish between different types of texts in the national language and in at least one foreign language.
    6. Ability to search and process information.
    7. Ability to formulate and express oral and written arguments persuasively and in context.
    8. Ability to apply logical and spatial mathematical reasoning to work tasks.
    9. Ability to use formulas, mathematical models, graphs and charts.
    10. Ability to use information and communication technologies and equipment responsibly, work in an e-environment, ensure the protection of business and personal data.
    11. Ability to seek, gather and process information and use it critically and systematically.
    12. Ability to analyse and evaluate one’s professional activities in order to develop one’s professional qualifications independently.
    13. Ability to demonstrate personal, social and civic, interpersonal and intercultural skills that enable active and effective participation in professional activities and social dialogue in society.
    14. Ability to observe basic principles of professional and general ethics and generally accepted standards of behaviour.
    15. Ability to apply research methods in the professional field.
    16. Ability to reason and justify.

Qualification acquisition requirements

Previous education
Certificate of general secondary education or Diploma of vocational secondary education
Ways to acquire 
Qualifications can be acquired in the framework of education programs or in the evaluation and recognition of non-formal knowledge, skills and competences acquired (in vocational education LKI Levels 2-4).
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Formal (through education programmes)
ECTS credit points 
The unit of the volume of Latvian higher education studies - 1 credit point corresponds to one week of study work in full-time studies (40 credit points per study year).

1 The credit point of Latvia corresponds to 1,5 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credit point.
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120
Duration of study 
Duration of qualification in full-time studies
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2-3 years

Qualification document

Qualifications Framework level

EQF level

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).


Go to the Glossary section
?

5

LQF level

Latvian Qualifications Framework (LQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).

LQF covers stages of education starting from the basic education (level 1 – special basic education) to the highest education (level 8 – doctoral studies).


Go to the Glossary section
?

5

Level of professional qualification

Latvia has a system of five professional qualifications levels (PQL, 1 – the lowest, 5 – the highest).

PQL system covers only professional qualifications (basic education, secondary and higher education stages).

PQL reflects readiness of a person to perform work of certain stage of complexity and responsibility.


Go to the Glossary section
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4

Qualification field, stage and type

Thematic field (ISCED 2013)
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) developed by UNESCO.
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Manufacturing and processing (072)

Detailed field: (ISCED 2013)

Materials (glass, paper, plastic and wood) (0722)

Education
Stages of Latvian education system included in the LQF:
- basic education
- secondary education
- higher education
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Higher education

Qualification type
ITypes of Latvian education:
-General education
-Professional education
-Academic education
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Vocational

Full or partial

Full qualification

Other information

National Education Information System

National Database of Education Opportunities

Active qualification

Period for issuing qualification: 2023-2025

Last changes: 16.03.2023

Posted: 07.05.2016