Within the context of the environmental and social challenges affecting the Textiles, Clothing, Leather and Footwear (TCLF) sector, the SiT – Sustainability in TCLF project stands out as a large-scale strategic initiative designed to address skills gaps and guide the European textile supply chain toward more sustainable production models. Funded by the Erasmus+ Alliances for Innovation programme, SiT responds to the urgent need to integrate sustainability, education and competitiveness, recognizing that the green transition cannot be achieved without a structural strengthening of knowledge and skills across the entire TCLF ecosystem.
The project starts from a clear awareness of the significant environmental footprint of the European textile industry and the pressing need for new educational strategies to tackle this issue. Despite the European Commission’s 2022 strategy for sustainable and circular textile products, progress toward sustainability remains uneven and fragmented across countries and subsectors. In this framework, SiT acts as a bridge between education, the labour market and industry, aiming to align skills supply and demand within the textile supply chain in line with EU climate and circularity objectives.
General objectives: green skills and educational innovation for the TCLF sector
SiT’s strategic vision is built around three converging objectives. First, the project aims to analyse emerging professions and skills shortages related to the green transformation of the TCLF sector, highlighting professional profiles that are currently underrepresented in education systems and corporate development plans. At the same time, SiT focuses on the design of dedicated training modules for green skills, adopting a bottom-up approach that actively involves textile SMEs and sectoral organisations. Finally, the project promotes the activation of integrated and participatory learning pathways that support the diffusion of a sustainability-oriented mindset among students, professionals and entrepreneurs.
These objectives are not abstract declarations, but translate into tangible outcomes, such as the identification of a competence-based educational framework for the green transition and the development of innovative, multidisciplinary curricula. In this perspective, textile sustainability is not treated merely as a theoretical concept, but as a practical capability that can be applied in the daily operations of textile companies.
Six integrated phases toward impact: from mapping to local networks
The operational structure of SiT is organised into six sequential and complementary phases, designed to accompany the textile supply chain through all key stages of educational transformation. The first phase focuses on the creation of so-called “knowledge triangles”, namely local and national networks of actors—including companies, higher education institutions and vocational training centres—working together to identify training needs and map emerging professional profiles. Among these are roles such as the Bio-Textile Technician and the Recycling Manager, which are central to the adoption of sustainable practices in textile production processes.
The second and third phases are dedicated respectively to the development of training programmes, educational materials and learning methodologies based on real industry needs, and to the creation of a digital MOOC platform addressed to students, professionals and trainers. This platform provides accessible content aimed at developing green skills that can be directly applied within the textile supply chain.
The fourth phase plays a crucial role, as it involves piloting the curricula through three complementary training modes: open online learning, blended learning with project-based approaches and on-site training, and work-based learning. This integrated approach allows training content and methodologies to be tested in real contexts, facilitating the integration of newly acquired skills into the operational dynamics of textile companies.
The fifth phase focuses on the creation of local ecosystems and hubs—collaborative spaces designed to support the integration of sustainability principles into local economies. Through memoranda of understanding, focus groups and interactive platforms, these ecosystems foster stakeholder connections and the dissemination of best practices, providing concrete tools for the development of green textile enterprises and local value creation.
Finally, the sixth phase includes communication and dissemination activities aimed at consolidating and enhancing the overall project results, promoting the transferability and scalability of SiT’s methodologies and educational outputs beyond the project’s lifetime, which runs until 31 January 2027.
Long-term impact on the textile supply chain, education and skills
The expected impact of SiT unfolds across three interconnected levels: local, national and European. At the local level, the implementation of green entrepreneurship hubs and laboratories aims to strengthen support services and foster closer cooperation between companies, training providers and policy makers, enhancing SMEs’ capacity to respond to challenges related to climate change and digitalisation.
At the national level, SiT seeks to improve the effectiveness of existing education and vocational training systems by expanding target groups and encouraging the integration of project-developed tools and methodologies into official training catalogues. This process supports the upskilling and reskilling of the textile workforce, promoting stronger links between education, research and the labour market.
At the European level, the initiative contributes to the co-creation of a shared and standardised framework of green skills that can be transferred across countries and sectors, supporting the adoption of educational modules and learning approaches that accelerate the green transition throughout the EU. The project’s inclusion in the ECOSYSTEX community further amplifies this impact, facilitating the exchange of best practices and alignment with other European initiatives dedicated to textile sustainability.