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TTK University of Applied Sciences partnered with the Estonian Woodhouse Association to develop digital learning tools for timber construction. Created as part of the international Wood for Youth initiative, the new materials provide a modern and systematic introduction to wooden house construction and aim to attract more young people to careers in the sector.
According to Pille Hamburg, senior lecturer at the Institute of Construction at TTK and the project’s lead at the university, the idea for the digital learning tools emerged from a clear practical need.
“The Estonian Woodhouse Association approached TTK with a proposal to develop high-quality and unified training materials on wooden house construction, something the sector has long lacked. The goal of the new learning tools is to bring more young people into the woodhouse sector – both skilled workers and future middle managers. To achieve that, we need clear, high-quality learning materials that link theory with practice,” Hamburg explains.
She notes that the digital learning tools also help reduce the training burden for companies hiring young employees, allowing them to focus more on their core activities.
For TTK, the collaboration with the Estonian Woodhouse Association highlights the role that a university of applied sciences can play in addressing broader societal and economic challenges.
“This project clearly demonstrates how we can work with professional associations – helping to identify sector needs, secure funding and develop practical learning solutions. The same model could be applied in many other fields as well,” Hamburg says.
The newly developed Woodhouse Academy e-learning programme is aimed at young people up to the age of 25, including students in vocational schools and higher education institutions. The programme can be used both in educational institutions and for independent learning.
The learning modules cover the use of wood in construction, explore the possibilities of wooden house building and provide a comprehensive overview of how the woodhouse sector operates. The materials have been designed for international use and can be applied not only in Estonia but also in Finland and Latvia in cooperation with local woodhouse associations. All learning materials are available in the local language of each participating country.
At the Institutes of Construction and Architecture at TTK, the digital learning tools have already been integrated into teaching. Initial feedback from both lecturers and students has been very positive. “According to both lecturers and students, the materials are logically structured and academically strong. This confirms that together with professional associations we can create learning solutions that provide real value both in education and across the sector,” Hamburg adds.
The Woodhouse Academy digital learning tools were developed as part of the Wood for Youth project, which ran from spring 2023 to spring 2026 and was co-funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme under Objective 6: Improving labour market opportunities.
In addition to the Estonian Woodhouse Association and TTK University of Applied Sciences, the e-learning programme was developed with contributions from Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Finnish Federation of Woodworking Industries and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences.
