AEQUALIS4TCLF marks key progress on regional skills partnerships, microcredentials and diversity

The Erasmus+ Blueprint AEQUALIS4TCLF project partners met in Helsinki on 8–9 September to take stock of the project’s progress and agree on the next steps to strengthen skills, inclusion and diversity across Europe’s textile, clothing, leather and footwear (TCLF) industries. The meeting brought together 19 TCLF stakeholders from Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Serbia and Slovenia to advance a series of concrete actions across the project.

In July, two regional public-private skills partnerships (Pacts for Skills) supported by AEQUALIS4TCLF were officially launched on the European Commission’s Pact for Skills website: one covering the North-East, Prague and Zlín regions in Czechia, and another in Central Slovenia. This marks an important milestone for the project, turning its work on identifying skills needs and bringing stakeholders together into concrete regional cooperation.

Members of these partnerships benefit from access to expertise on emerging skills needs, guidance on funding opportunities and opportunities to collaborate within a growing European community committed to building a resilient and competitive TCLF workforce. The consortium will continue working with the European Commission to advance the remaining regional partnerships, with the aim of having seven TCLF Pacts for Skills approved by January 2027. Alongside the regional partnerships, seven national skills strategies are being drafted, with seminars planned in each country to present the strategies in 2027.

Work is also advancing on 40 microcredentials, with the first pilot phase set to begin shortly and run until April 2027. Hosted on DigiCampus, the courses will help learners develop skills related to sustainable practices and digital transformation in fashion. E-books, quizzes and AI-powered videos developed by project partners will provide learners with an interactive way to build skills for the green and digital transitions.

Inclusion and diversity are also moving from discussion to practical action. AEQUALIS4TCLF will organise six workshops in 2027 focusing on inclusion, diversity, wellbeing and sustainability. Guidelines on diversity are under development and will provide practical recommendations, tools and templates, examples of good practices, and guidance on monitoring and evaluation. Designed with SMEs in particular in mind, the guidelines aim to support organisations in putting diversity and inclusion into practice. The project will also develop a Manifesto for Diversity to promote equality and diversity across the TCLF industries and align these efforts with the principles of the EU TCLF Pact for Skills Charter.

The annual AEQUALIS4TCLF skills survey will also take place in September and October 2026. The survey will explore current and emerging skills needs linked to the green and digital transitions across the TCLF sectors. Companies, higher education institutions and VET providers in the participating countries will be invited to share their perspectives. The survey will soon be available on the project  website.