The HMC trains students to become creative professionals for whom there is a place in the job market now and in the future. When you follow a course at HMC, you not only learn to master a profession down to the finest details. You also acquire the skills necessary to continue developing yourself throughout your career.
The profession of furniture maker or interior designer has changed enormously in the last ten years. That will be no different in the near future. While no one can predict the exact innovations the industry will face, one thing is certain: change is a constant factor. For a vocational school like the HMC, it is essential to develop several of your talents as a student: in addition to technical professional skills, also an entrepreneurial attitude and adaptability. After all, only the curious professional, constantly looking for improvement, can be sure of sustainable employment.
Mission and vision
At HMC, the professional practice is always the guiding principle in education. Students learn primarily through hands-on experience. By using a variety of teaching methods, students gain the necessary knowledge, skills and professional attitude.
Developing talents
At HMC, we think it is important to discover and further develop your talents. We want to prepare you for the job market. This business community is therefore closely involved with the school. This not only guarantees that our programs are well aligned with the industry but also makes finding an internship and a job a seamless process.
Lessons from professional teachers
You will be taught by professional teachers who have often worked in practice for years—or still do. They have a deep passion for their craft and love sharing it with their students. Their own development doesn’t stop either. The HMC encourages its staff to continue to develop themselves. The entrepreneurial mindset we ask of our students, we also ask of our teachers.
Contact with the industry
The shared passion for the profession drives the collaboration between the internship companies in the sectors and the teachers of the HMC: training new professionals is a joint task for both the school and the industry. These contacts allow our teachers to closely follow the developments in our profession.
Inspiring learning environment
The environment in which you are taught resembles the professional practice as much as possible. For the wood and furniture programs, we have an up-to-date machinery and dedicated practical classrooms. These practical spaces are small-scale versions of furniture workshops, upholstery shops and carpentry businesses. The spaces for interior design courses resemble home furniture stores, ateliers and studios. This is where simulations of sales conversations take place, shop presentations are created and home interiors are designed. In the HMC-Lab, you can experiment with materials and new techniques, such as the laser cutter, 3D printer or the embroidery machine. In the Study Centre, you will find a wealth of relevant books and magazines that can inspire you and help you on your way to achieving a beautiful end product.
Striving for quality
The HMC trains students to become passionate, creative and enterprising professionals. As a specialized vocational school, we feel responsible for ensuring a strong alignment between industry demands and the supply of qualified graduates. We meet all the quality requirements set by the government and strive for a level of quality that, according to the education inspectorate, is beyond any doubt. The HMC does its utmost to get the best out of techniques, materials and, above all, people for the benefit of students, industries and employees.
BOL – Learning
If you choose a BOL program, you will attend both practical and theory lessons at school. You will also complete several internships at an accredited learning company to gain practical experience.
BBL – working and learning
If you choose a BBL program, you will be working and learning at the same time. To enroll in a BBL program, you must have a job at an accredited learning company. The accreditation ensures that you will learn the craft well in practice. Don’t have a job yet? You will need to find one yourself. You will work four days a week at your company to gain practical experience and spend 8 hours per week at school learning the theory.
Part-time – for adults (HMC NEXT)
For everyone aged 23 and older, HMC also offers vocational training at both locations that can be followed part-time: furniture making and upholstery. These vocational training courses are courses at mbo level 2 that can be followed in several sessions per week. The program last two years. After successfully passing the aptitude test, you will receive an industry-recognized diploma in furniture making or furniture upholstering.
The world of interior design is diverse: it involves creative presentation and design, having various conversations such as sales discussions and giving advice. It also includes applying appropriate upholstery, all of which are valuable skills for a career in this industry.
Programs
HMC offers various furniture courses. The courses are offered in Dutch, an advanced level of Dutch is required. You can choose from courses within the furniture making, piano technology and furniture upholstery:
The world of furniture is literally all around us. Furniture and interiors are produced for homes, offices, ships and public spaces. Craftsmanship and creativity are qualities which come in very useful here. An additional advantage is that the course options are so diverse that you can literally go in any direction in the furniture industry. Careful thought is first devoted to sizes, the model and the choice of materials before a piece of furniture is made. Ideas are recorded in a sketch and technically elaborated on using a computer. It can subsequently be made with tools and machines.
A furniture maker can complete this entire process. Depending on his areas of interest, a furniture maker can specialise in designing furniture, making wooden musical instruments, wooden yacht building, furniture restoration, or the restoration of wooden constructions or structures. Some furniture items are only delivered once they have been finished off with upholstery. This is where the furniture upholsterers come into the equation. They make sure the interior and upholstery are beautifully finished off and will apply the various different upholstery materials. A piano technician is specialised in everything to do with a piano. Irrespective of whether it concerns tuning a piano or replacing various different parts, or perhaps repairing the playing mechanism, he/she can do it all.
HMC offers various technology courses. The courses are offered in Dutch, an advanced level of Dutch is required.
The world of wood offers a multitude of possibilities. Being technically busy with your hands, organising commercial matters with different parties, or a combination of both, are all options. The wood industry isn’t just extensive, but very versatile too. Plus a future in wood means your future is absolutely guaranteed, as there will always be a need for effective work planners, as well as good carpenters and woodworkers. Wood is often used for the construction of houses or offices. This includes doors, staircases, windowsills, dormer windows and timber frames. These products are often made in advance and installed by the assembly worker in carpentry companies before they are sent to the construction site. A professional carpenter will know exactly which materials and how these materials should be used to make the best possible carpentry products. He/she isn’t just familiar with all the required hand tools, but will also be completely au fait with a variety of machines, some of which will be computer-controlled. The work planner is an essential link in the carpentry industry, who is responsible for the entire process. In addition to organising all the preparatory work, the work planner is also the one who maintains contact with the builder, the contractors and work planners at construction companies and property managers.
HMC offers the following courses in the field of design & fashion accessories:
The creative specialist designs and produces unique or small series of products and introduces these to the market. This can be products made from wood, or other materials in combination with wood (furniture, for example), but also hats, shoes, bags or other leather goods. The creative specialist uses various different materials and combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest trends and techniques, such as laser cutting, CNC milling techniques and 3D printing techniques. The course is offered in Dutch, an advanced level of Dutch is required.
