Adapting Vocational Education for Industry 5.0 by Transforming the Professional Identity of VET Trainers in Wood Processing

This study develops a theoretical framework for transforming vocational education and training (VET) for the emerging Industry 5.0 paradigm by focusing on the critical role of VET trainers’ professional identity. As Industry 5.0 emphasizes human-machine collaboration, artificial intelligence integration, and sustainability, traditional VET programs—particularly in craft-based sectors like wood processing—require fundamental reconceptualization. While research has addressed curriculum reforms and technological adoption, limited attention has been given to how VET trainers must transform their professional identity and practices to effectively develop an agile workforce. We propose a conceptual framework for integrating Industry 5.0 approaches into VET programs, specifically applied to a wood processing technician education program in the Romanian VET system, and identify the key competencies for an agile workforce in the Industry 5.0 context. It further proposes a redesign of industry-partnered training modules and identifies how VET trainers must evolve from traditional instructors to facilitators of human-machine collaboration, developing competencies in digital tools, adaptive pedagogy, and sustainability practices. While requiring empirical validation, the research contributes a structured approach for aligning vocational training with Industry 5.0 requirements, offering a roadmap for educators and industry stakeholders to update VET programs for future labor market demands. It also provides the groundwork for targeted professional development strategies to equip VET trainers with the necessary skills to prepare an agile, technology-enabled, and sustainability-conscious workforce.