Learning Factories

Creative and Agile training for the Green and Digital transition in the Leather Goods sector

Description

European leather goods represent a traditional manufacturing sector within the highend fashion industry, that has an exponential growth, a high level of profitability and a relevant impact on the economy of several European countries. The sector currently employs up to 150,000 people in the European Union, but it faces two major challenges: the insufficient level of qualification of its current employees due to the rapid technological change, and the lack of attraction and retention of young new workers. The result is a risk to reduce the competitiveness of EU manufacturing companies because of the loss of the European expertise in this field.

The lack of the necessary skills of students and new workers can only be tackled by quickly upgrading the education and training system in line with the latest profiles, with innovative teaching methods, creative content, flexible programmes and learning approaches.

Against this background, the Erasmus+ Learning Factories project has the overall objective of upgrading the training process in the leather goods sector by putting companies at the forefront. With the participation of leather goods SMEs as well as public and private providers of Vocational Education Training (VET), partners will develop training courses to respond to the current and future needs of companies. A new era of agile short-term creative programmes and AI and video-based content, both in iVET and cVET, will be developed and piloted with the aim of increasing the attractiveness and retention of employees while preparing them with the skills needed to support the green and digital transition, and increase competitiveness in the sector.

Objectives

• Promote partnerships between education and industry, i.e. leather goods companies (SMEs) and public and private Vocational Education Training providers, by working together in the development of high-quality i-VET and c-VET programmes capable of attracting new workers, and better preparing employees with the skills needed.
• Empowering employees in their professional growth by giving SMEs the means to prepare and implement reskilling and upskilling plans for their employees, as well as providing them with a scanning tool for identifying training needs and directing them towards customised curricula, within a “training needs observatory” within each company.
• Promote the development of digital and green skills to support the digital transformation of the leather goods industry, particularly in manufacturing practices, the adoption of materials, and the use of clean technologies.

Expected Outcomes

• Help to revolutionise the way VET is designed and structured by putting companies at the forefront, and involving them from the start in the training process.
• Introduce artificial intelligence in training in the leather goods sector for the first time.
• Create flexible and ready-to-use short-term curricula based on companies’ current needs in terms of digital and green skills to support the digital and green transformation of the leather goods industry.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.