3 March 2026 – The transformation of Europe’s textile, clothing, leather and footwear industries is changing not only what people need to learn, but also how technical education can be delivered.
Within METASKILLS4TCLF, trainers and technicians are testing new immersive learning tools designed to bring digital and industrial environments directly into vocational education and higher education. In February 2026, participants from several countries met in Prato, Italy, for hands-on training on the project’s Metaverse Labs.
The activity focused on how to install, manage and use virtual-reality equipment and digital learning content. Four dedicated applications have been developed for clothing, textiles, leather and footwear, giving learners the possibility to explore sector-specific environments and processes in a more interactive way.
The value of these tools goes beyond technology itself. For schools and training providers, immersive learning can make it easier to demonstrate equipment, processes and production environments that may otherwise be difficult or costly to reproduce in a classroom. For students and workers, it creates new ways to combine theoretical learning with practical experience.
This is particularly relevant as Europe seeks to attract a new generation to industrial careers while also helping the existing workforce update its skills. Modernising training methods can make technical education more engaging, flexible and closely connected to the reality of companies. Through METASKILLS4TCLF, EURATEX and its partners are helping ensure that vocational education evolves alongside the industry it serves.