Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Skills Development and Social Dialogue for

Textile and Clothing Sector in the Euro-Mediterranean Area

MALTA
10-11/04/2013

THE RIGHT SKILLS FOR TODAY AND

TOMORROW IN THE TEXTILE AND
CLOTHING INDUSTRY

Developments and view from the industry

Stéphanie Le Berre
Legal and Social Affairs
EURATEX
 Evolution of the supply, employment and skills needs including
foresight and forecast

 Training as a strategic tool

 Competencies for production functions are central
 Business strategies prevail
 Basic competencies in the spotlight
 Innovation and sustainability pull on
 Sectors seeking new place in the economy
Training Issues in the TCL Industry:

 The Aging Work Force and its Consequences

 The Problem of Attractiveness and Recruiting Difficulties
 The Increasing Rarity of Ongoing and Initial Training
 The Need for Better Qualifications
 A Changing Training Model
 Main challenges of the TCL Industry
 Match Needs to Training Systems
· better utilise tools involved in initial training, training systems, orientation, professionalization,
and ongoing training;
· enable and support very small businesses more specifically;
· design year-round oversight and initiative structures;
· increase access to existing tools (anticipation and support: agreements on procedures,
reclassification, restructuring)

 Offer opportunities to employees in the sector

· secure professional development, improve transitioning, promote employee loyalty
· fight job insecurity in the industrial field
· promote technical careers

 Create and maintain jobs

 diffuse tensions surrounding supply and demand of employment in the industry
 enable the evolution of jobs
 retain knowledge (databases, mentoring…)
 secure renewal from one generation to the next
 attract more youth to the TCL sector and make its careers more attractive
 Recommendations from the EU TCL SSC

- Sharing best practices and communication tools (joint initiatives)

- Develop a cooperation framework with TCL industries, for “talent scouting” and for the development of
proper business-oriented professional training
- Develop the courses and training paths towards an international approach
- Increase and promote education and training at all levels, but especially for those jobs which will be more
required in the future (high specialization production workers, research and development, fashion and
style, marketing managers)
- Favour the process of making long experienced and high specialization workers tutors and trainers of new
incoming workforce
- Favour projects and initiatives aiming at increase the attractiveness of the sector towards people of all
ages
- Favour information and competence transfer in the generational turnover that is taking place
*Industry Skills Partnership: bipartite
- Promote and strengthen lifelong learning/ or tripartite sector specific
organisation, active in the fields of
apprenticeship education, training and employment in
a defined geographical area
 recommendations from the EU TCL SSC
 Recommendations to the Social partners:
- Favour the cooperation among ISPs
- Favour the creation of regional – national ISPs and their integration in the EU TCL SSC
- Extend the partnership in the framework of the EU TCL SSC to new ISPs
 Recommendations to the employers:
- Focus on the SMEs needs in terms of training and innovation related issues. Enhance the
SMEs employers attitude to be informed on the opportunities offered by ISPs/training
institutions
- Concretise cooperation with ISPs and training institutions
 Recommendations to the workers:
- Try to be always informed on training opportunities and proactive for the definition of
training needs and priorities
 Recommendations to national and EU institutions:
- Favour the work of ISPs in the companies, in SMEs in particular, through
deployment of resources

 more work has to be done on the integration of the various projects

active at EU and national levels on employment and training

 The European Commission has a very important guiding and

correcting role to play in this area, in order to increase transparency
and effectiveness
 Thank you!

The European Apparel and Textile Confederation

24, rue Montoyer; Bte. 10
B-1000 Brussels
phone : +32-2-285.48.93
fax : +32-2-230.60.54
e-mail : stephanie.le.berre@euratex.eu
website: http://www.euratex.eu