AEQUALIS4TCLF project: D3.5 EU TCLF Skills Strategy
The European textile, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) industries employ 1.5 million workers across 220,000 mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. These sectors face challenges from digital transformation, green transitions, and demographic shifts, requiring a renewed skills strategy to adapt and thrive.
The EU TCLF Skills Strategy (2025) builds on the 2018-2022 Blueprint, emphasizing inclusion, alignment with EU frameworks, and prioritizing actions for urgent (2025-2026) and medium-term (2027-2030) needs. It focuses on three pillars:
Developing relevant skills: Modernizing education and lifelong learning to include digital competencies, sustainable production, and innovation management. It promotes upskilling through short courses, micro-credentials, and apprenticeships.
Using skills effectively: Enhancing workplace practices to match and develop employee competencies, improving the sector’s image, and attracting diverse talent.
Strengthening skills governance: Establishing a TCLF Skills Observatory for real-time labor market data and coordinating stakeholders through the TCLF Skills Alliance.
The strategy aims to equip the workforce with the skills needed for a competitive, resilient, and sustainable sector by 2030.
