In the context of the EU TCLF Pact for Skills, EURATEX will work together with CEC and COTANCE to support the creation of regional partnerships in the area of skills. The new SkillBridge project, supported by the European Commission DG GROW, will specifically help to develop action plans with regional authorities, local Textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear (TCLF) industry and education providers.

The action plans should respond to the changing needs of the TCLF industry in the area of education and skills. The project will also offer a mobility scheme for regional stakeholders from the industry and offer support to SMEs, to help them develop reskilling or upskilling initiatives in their company.

The TCLF SkillBridge project complements the MetaSkills and Aequalis projects, which were launched earlier this year. They all share the same objectives which have been established in the TCLF Pact for Skills, and thus contribute to addressing one of the most critical bottlenecks which is faced by the TCLF industry - the shortage of qualified labour.

These three projects will, collectively, allow EURATEX and its partners to work with all relevant stakeholders from our sector across the EU and beyond.

Dirk Vantyghem, EURATEX Director General, welcomes these initiatives to support the TCLF industries: “Addressing the skills gap, and attracting young people with the right set of skills, is essential to strengthen the European textiles industry. We are grateful to the European Commission to offer the necessary support, and want to reach out especially to the regional authorities, to work together and design a skills strategy that works for its local TCLF industry.”

As the voice of the European textile and clothing industry, EURATEX works to achieve a favourable environment within the European Union for design, development, manufacture and marketing of textile and clothing products. The EU textile and clothing industry, with around 197,000 companies employing 1.3 million workers, is an essential pillar of the local economy across many EU regions. With over €64 billion of exports, the industry is a global player successfully commercialising high added value products on growing markets around the world.

Working together with EU institutions and other European and international stakeholders, EURATEX focuses on clear priorities: an ambitious industrial policy, effective research, innovation and skills development, free and fair trade, and sustainable supply chains.

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