Wake-up call on textile skills challenge
A total of 118 organisations have signed a new Pact for Skills that Europe’s main representative bodies for textiles, clothing, leather and footwear have drawn up.
As part of an initiative promoted by the European Commission and by the umbrella organisations for textiles, clothing, leather and footwear in Europe, the pact calls for recognition of a “skills challenge” in these industries, and for a commitment to addressing this.
Industry bodies involved are EURATEX for textiles and clothing, COTANCE for leather and CEC for footwear. They want companies throughout Europe to address the issue by investing in reskilling and upskilling workers, integrating green and digital skills and improving the attractiveness of their industries to potential new employees.
Employers, social partners, national and regional authorities, plus education and training providers will all be involved in fulfilling these ambitions. Benefits that signatories to the pact will receive include networking, guidance and resources offered by the European Commission; this assistance should become available from the early part of 2022.
