The cluster joins the TCLF Pact for Skills:

people as the backbone of the industry’s competitiveness

Leather Cluster Barcelona has signed up to the “Pact for Skills“ for the European textile, clothing, leather and footwear industries (known by the acronym TCLF).

The “TCLF Pact for Skills” is an initiative driven by the European Commission and promoted by EURATEX, COTANCE and CEC, the European employers’ organisations of the textile, leather and footwear industries in Europe.

In the “Pact for Skills“, which has received the support of more than 120 companies and institutions from these sectors, the signatories acknowledge the skills challenge in the business ecosystem and undertake to invest in upgrading and improving the training of their workers, integrating the skills required by the green and digital economy and enhancing the appeal of the sector.

Members of the pact will benefit from the networking, guidance and resources offered by the European Commission to implement the objectives set out in the pact.

The “Pact for Skills“ is part of the European Union’s industrial strategy and addresses the competitiveness of 14 critical ecosystems, including textiles, leather and footwear, bearing in mind that this last group employs more than 2 million people in Europe, mostly in small and medium-sized enterprises. The main purpose of the pact is to maximise the impact of investment in improving existing skills (upskilling) and training in new skills (reskilling).

To achieve such an ambitious objective, the pact brings together various players in the TCLF sectors: industry, employers, social partners, national and regional authorities, and education and training providers. These players will have to work together and invest in large-scale skills partnerships, ensuring the exchange of best practice and increasing the appeal of these sectors.

In early 2022, the European Commission will offer the signatories of the “Pact for Skills“ the opportunity to benefit from collaboration at regional, national and EU level and, in particular, to gain access to networking hubs, knowledge and guidance, and resources.