CEC, the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry, is strongly involved in the Learn2Work initiative, an European funded project aiming to address two increasing problems across Europe: the growing NEETs group and the lack of young skilled workers in the shoe manufacturing industry. NEETs are youngsters, aged 16 until 29, who are not in Employment, Education or Training. In general, NEETs are the early school leavers, the unemployed or discouraged young people, as well as those outside the labour force for various reasons. Portugal, Spain and Italy are countries with high proportions of NEETs.

A new innovative learning methodology based on “learning by doing” will act as a bridge for NEETs to easily discover and enter in the footwear industry, and create/retain more jobs in Europe. With such objective, Learn2Work is being implemented in Portugal, Spain, and Italy until March 2018. Belgium and Denmark provide their expertise in management of training and educational programmes.

To be able to foster NEETs and give them future career perspectives in the footwear industry, Learn2Work will adapt and use the methodology from the Danish Production schools. Their innovative pedagogics is believed to be of great use in manufacturing training within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems in Portugal, Spain and Italy.

NEETs participating in the three pilots in Portugal, Spain and Italy will learn by doing, breaking the traditional learning method of a Teacher telling students. Instead, they will become the lead characters of their learning process, and through their experiences, success and mistakes, will develop critical thinking and acquire technical and soft skills.

This is how these youngsters will become skilled workers with career opportunities in the footwear sector where generational replacement is so much needed.

For more information about the project, visit the Learn2Work website.