The session reflected the role of ECOSYSTEX as a European community of practice where EU-funded projects can exchange knowledge, present results and identify opportunities for cooperation. Skills are a central part of the textile ecosystem’s transition, as companies, education providers and workers need to respond to changing requirements linked to circularity, digitalisation, sustainable production, new business models and industrial competitiveness.

The four projects presented during the webinar approached these challenges from complementary perspectives. Together, they showed how European cooperation can help translate policy priorities into practical tools, training models and learning experiences for the sector.

The first presentation was delivered by Sara Harper, University of Borås, who presented W4TEX and its work on empowering women for leadership in sustainable textile management.

The project focused on strengthening managerial, entrepreneurial and sustainability competences, with particular attention to women with migrant or refugee backgrounds, including women affected by the war in Ukraine. W4TEX presented several outputs developed during the project, including the “Be A Manager” learning platform, the Women Think Green toolkit, ideathons and transnational learning activities.

Its contribution to the session underlined an important message for the textile ecosystem: skills development is not only about technical knowledge. It is also about inclusion, confidence, leadership and access to networks that allow more people to contribute to the sector’s transformation.

The second presentation was delivered by Elena Kopanarova, who introduced FEA-VEE, the Fashion Earth Alliance project. Funded under the Erasmus+ Centres of Vocational Excellence initiative, FEA-VEE has worked to connect VET providers and entrepreneurship representatives across several European countries.

The project presented its work on modern VET curricula, internships, international study visits and its online cooperation platform. These activities aim to strengthen the link between education and the labour market, while supporting green and digital skills in fashion and textiles.

FEA-VEE highlighted the importance of creating long-term cooperation structures between schools, companies and sector representatives. For a sector largely composed of SMEs, such bridges are essential to ensure that training remains relevant to industrial needs and that learners can access real opportunities for mobility, work-based learning and professional development.

The third project, VETRINE, was presented by Ana Paula Dinis, Director-General of ATP Portugal. Her presentation focused on greening fashion education through VET innovation and industry collaboration, with a strong emphasis on practical application.

VETRINE presented the Entre-Fashion process, an eight-month simulation through which learners move from theoretical training to sustainable product development. The process includes mentoring, concept validation, material research, prototype development, market reflection and final presentation.

The project brought a particularly practical message to the discussion: sustainability cannot be learned only in classrooms. It must be tested through materials, production constraints, market expectations and collaboration with industry. VETRINE therefore showed how vocational education can become a bridge between sustainability knowledge and real industrial practice.

The final project presentation was delivered by Rita Souto, CTCP, project coordinator of METASKILLS4TCLF. The project presented its work towards a more coordinated skills ecosystem for the Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear industries.

Building on the TCLF Pact for Skills and the previous Skills4Smart TCLF Blueprint, METASKILLS4TCLF focuses on digital and green skills, circular economy, innovative training methods, inclusion, attractiveness and competitiveness. The project presented ongoing work on skills strategies, training programmes, microcredentials, digital tools, augmented reality resources, virtual reality content and Metaverse Labs.

Its presentation showed the value of combining strategic coordination with innovative learning formats. As skills needs evolve, the sector requires both updated intelligence on emerging gaps and flexible training resources that can reach learners, trainers and companies across Europe.

The ECOSYSTEX Insight Series #22 demonstrated the diversity of European skills initiatives and the added value of bringing them together in one exchange. Together, the projects showed that the textile ecosystem’s green and digital transition depends on people as much as on technologies, materials or regulations. Skills development must be inclusive, practical, future-oriented and closely connected to industrial realities.

Through its Insight Series and working groups, ECOSYSTEX continues to provide a valuable platform for EU-funded projects to share results, avoid fragmentation and strengthen collaboration across the European textile ecosystem. The Skills Edition confirmed that cooperation between projects, education providers, companies and sector organisations will remain essential to building a resilient, competitive and sustainable textile future.