Educational motivation of generations Y and Z in the wood sector

With Industry 4.0, we are entering the digital age, which will significantly change the profiles of employees and their necessary competencies. This also affects education in the wood sector. The aim of the research was to find out which teaching methods in learning motivate representatives of generations Y and Z at different levels of education (from vocational to master’s degree education) in the wood sector, which form of education is most suitable and what younger people think about distance learning. To this end, we conducted a survey using social media and an e-classroom. The results showed that learners are most motivated by an environment that strives for development, is safe and stable, and is also characterized by teamwork rather than a competitive environment. We did not find much difference in motivational factors between groups at different levels of education or forms of education (fulltime, lifelong). Otherwise, the main motivation of learners with regard to the wood sector, regardless of generation, is the internal incentives of the individual, while the external incentives differ more between generations.