#Associations

2021-03-25

Which skills companies need from their workforce

EURATEX, CEC and COTANCE run a survey between February and March 2021 among TCLF (Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear) companies to understand what are their skills’ needs, which are the most common challenges to up/reskill their workforce and how they can keep competitive in such a globalised world.

Over 150 companies replied to the survey out of which 53 represented Textile and Clothing sectors.

The majority of respondents finds that skills related to process and production are still lacking, and they will still be important in the years to come. 2 out of 3 respondents already up/reskill their workforce for digital skills, and 35% provide up/reskilling activities for green skills.

How could the EU help companies in up/reskilling the workforce Respondents prioritise financial support (as the most effective mechanism to increase employees’ training), collaboration – both on the level of industry stakeholders as well as collaboration with education providers and policy makers – and support in providing better offer and exchange of knowledge as key actions that are critical to ensure appropriate approach towards the up/reskilling initiatives in the industries.

Respondents as one of the main challenges that restrained them from using external/public resources for up/reskilling pointed out the lack of knowledge and information about the offer, lack of programmes for the industry and challenging list of conditions that often left them unable to use this kind of supporting measures.

Key findings from the survey:

• In terms of currect skills needs of companies, process and production skills were selected by 79% of respondents, followed closely by Digital skills needs (61%) and Green skills (35%);

• 70% of respondents implement currently up/reskilling activities to meet process and production skills needs, and 88% foresee them as important or very important in the next 5 years;

• 61 % of respondents implement currently up/reskilling activities to meet?digital skills needs, and 86% foresee them as important?or very important in the next 5 years;

• 40% of respondents implement currently up/reskilling activities to meet?green skills needs, and 65% foresee them as important or very important in the next 5 years;

• Each year, less than 24% of workers take part in up/reskilling activities, according to of 77% respondents;

• Time-related constraints, as well as financial costs, are the key obstacles to conduct training, implement mentoring and apprenticeship programmes. 42% highlighted also Lack of adequate courses, facilities, or teachers as a problem for general training activities, while for both mentoring and apprenticeship Lack of internal human resources to supervise is an issue;

• 56% of respondents admit to using a mix of financial sources coming from company and external funding schemes (in the form of financial incentives, collaboration with education providers, and contribution to Social Security systems or tax reliefs for training activities / R&D);

• The EC measures for the re/upskilling activities – the key action selected by the respondents is focused on Building strong skills partnerships among all relevant stakeholders (83% respondents selected important or very important).

EURATEX calls for urgent action on industrial competitiveness

EURATEX, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, welcomes today’s State of the Union Address by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and in particular her recognition of Europe’s need to rebalance unfair trade, cut red tape, and strengthen its industrial and strategic autonomy.

European textile industry calls for €10 handling fee on ultra-fast-fashion imports

The introduction of the €3 customs duty on low-value imports marks an important milestone in Europe’s efforts to address the challenges created by the rapid growth of ultra-fast-fashion imports. Together with the abolition of the €150 customs duty exemption, it demonstrates that policymakers are willing to act when market distortions become impossible to ignore. However, the European textile and clothing industry considers this a first step rather than the final destination.

Towards pragmatic and harmonised labelling in the EU

EDANA, alongside 14 European associations, urges the European Commission and Member States to adopt a pragmatic approach for the future harmonised packaging labels, in line with the EU’s agenda for the EU Single Market, simplification and competitiveness. The system should rely on text-free pictograms, available in achromatic or monochromatic versions matching the packaging palette, with the possibility of using digital labelling as a core element. Our associations represent manufacturers of consumer goods across Europe.

Textile PRO Forum calls for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe

The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.

ITMF names three winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026

Three projects from the UK, Korea and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The projects address textile-to-textile recycling, chemical recycling for automotive textiles and a regenerative approach combining silk production with ecological restoration.

Italian textile machinery at TITAS 2026: strategic partnership and tailor-made solutions for the Taiwanese market

The excellence and innovative capabilities of Italian textile machinery technology are coming to Taipei for TITAS 2026 (Taiwan International Textile & Garment Machinery Show), the leading event for the island’s textile industry and the wider Asian region, scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 October 2026.

KARL MAYER invites the Global Textile Industry to celebrate its 90th anniversary at its German Headquarters in 2027

KARL MAYER is turning its anniversary year 2027 into a milestone for the textile sector. To mark its 90th anniversary, the industry leader is inviting customers, partners, and experts from around the world to a unique event series in September aimed at pushing boundaries, unlocking new opportunities, and jointly setting the course for a new era in textiles – just as KARL MAYER has done throughout its history. The company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt, is the place to be.

Durak Maxibalance thread supports users’ movement and balance comfort

Durak Tekstil, a leading brand in its industry, has developed Durak Maxibalance, a new product engineered with bio-ceramic and FAR IR technology. Ushering in a new era for sportswear, activewear, and medical textiles, this technology offers features designed to support balance and movement comfort by reflecting the energy absorbed from the body back into it.