3 July 2025 – Europe’s textile, clothing, leather and footwear industries are changing rapidly. Circular production, digital tools, traceability requirements and new technologies are creating new skills needs across the value chain, while companies continue to face difficulties recruiting people with the right technical profiles.
Through the METASKILLS4TCLF and AEQUALIS4TCLF projects, EURATEX and its partners are working to turn these changing industry needs into practical education and training. In 2025, METASKILLS4TCLF advanced work on learning content for 36 curricula focused on the circular economy and digital fashion. The project combines traditional course material with e-books, immersive virtual-reality experiences and 360-degree videos, making training more flexible and accessible for different types of learners and institutions.
AEQUALIS4TCLF is following the same direction with eight new curricula focused on sustainable and digital fashion, supported by interactive learning materials, videos, practical activities and assessments. The objective is not only to teach new subjects, but to modernise the way vocational education and training responds to industrial change.
For Europe’s TCLF ecosystem, this work has a direct competitiveness dimension. Companies need employees who can combine manufacturing know-how with digital capabilities, sustainability knowledge and an understanding of new regulatory requirements. SMEs in particular cannot manage this transition alone and need education providers and sector organisations to offer training that is practical, relevant and easy to access.
By linking skills intelligence, curriculum development and innovative teaching methods, these projects are helping build a stronger bridge between education and the realities of the workplace.