The aim of the project is to create a robust and sustainable community of private and public actors across Europe, which will re-shape and update skills and education in these traditional yet dynamic and innovative sectors within an EU-wide skills strategy.

During a two-day meeting in Brussels, the Blueprint partners from 9 EU countries participated in the kick-off meeting of “Skills4Smart TCLF 2030”, an ambitious project co-funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme to attract, upskill and develop innovative learning methods for the workers of Textile, Clothing, Leather, and Footwear (TCLF) companies in Europe.

Led by the European umbrella organisation EURATEX (textile and clothing) together with its two counterparts COTANCE (leather) and CEC (footwear), as well as a group of VET providers, technical universities, companies, and public bodies, the consortium will combine their respective expertise to create the right conditions and environment to respond to these sectors’ growing demand for a talented and modernised workforce, while updating and reshaping the necessary curricula and VET programmes, testing and replicating them across Europe.

The Blueprint for sectoral cooperation will in this way contribute to the establishment of a network of VET providers across Europe to ensure modernised and updated occupations and curricula to grasp the opportunities of ever-growing digitalisation, sustainable economy, and technological innovation in accordance with industry needs. The project also expects to involve relevant European regions committed to supporting the growth and modernisation of the TCLF industries, which represent a combined annual turnover of over 200 billion euros  and employ 2 million people in the European Union.

Above all, “Skills4Smart TCLF 2030” will create a large community of TCLF and education stakeholders working to reach excellence in skills anticipation and development, so that workers in these sectors can be equipped with the latest and most advanced skills to help EU companies reach their maximum potential in a competitive and innovation-based world. In parallel, the TCLF sectors will then offer exciting career prospects for young people who want to be part of Europe’s hallmark industries and advance its growth and success while contributing to the excellence of European consumer products.