Green Export

Key actions for creating the enabling conditions: Developing the skills needed for the green and digital transitions?

The textiles ecosystem, requires a highly skilled workforce to unlock the potential for the employment opportunities brought by the digital and green transitions, as only 13% of the workforce has high-level qualifications. The sector struggles to attract qualified young talents and SMEs in the textiles ecosystem are being held back by a lack of skilled employees. 55% of European companies reported difficulties in filling ICT vacancies, and 40% of companies have a green skills gap. Areas such as eco-design, fibre development, innovative textile production, repair and reuse are particularly important. Vocational education and training, both initial and continuous, including apprenticeships are essential for equipping people with the necessary skills.

Under the EU Pact for skills the Commission supported the establishment of a large-scale skills partnership for the textiles ecosystem to promote upskilling, reskilling and the acquisition and transfer of green and digital skills, including knowledge on life cycle assessment and value chain assessment. In line with the New European Skills Agenda, the Digital Compass 2030 and the objectives of the Porto summit, the Pact for Skills for the textiles ecosystem, launched on 16 of December 2021, commits to specific key performance indicators, with a view to creating local partnerships between industry, public authorities and educational providers. Agreed actions include increasing diversification in company management by up to 5% each year, in particular access for women to higher positions; supporting 10.000 SMEs in their digitalisation efforts; designing 20 new educational processes and tools responding to green and digital skills; increasing the offer of apprenticeships in the sector by 20%; and other commitments on upskilling and reskilling the workforce in the coming years.

 

Source: European Comission

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