Introduced in the kick-off meeting held on the 26^th and 27^th of September in Portugal, the Erasmus+ Blueprint MetaSkills4TCLF aims to promote a comprehensive strategy for skills development, innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in the textile, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) industries, in line with the goals of the 2020 EU Skills Agenda.

The event, which was hosted by the CTCP (Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre) and APICCAPS (Portuguese Footwear, Components, Leather Goods Manufacturers’ Association), was attended by 21 partner organisations from 11 countries, together with its four affiliated partners, all representing the European sectors of the TCLF.

Addressing all the goals of the Alliances for Sectoral Co-operation on Skills (E+ Blueprint), and intersecting the pillars of the EU's PACT4SKILLS TCLF Charter, this new project is committed to consolidating and updating part of the results of the previous «Blueprint Skills4Smart TCLF Industries 2030» project. To that end, it will add new skills to help companies in the digital and green transition while adopting disruptive learning methodologies that help attract the younger generation.

Thus, under the project, over the next four years, the partners are expected to diagnose and act on skills gaps in the TCLF sectors through collaborative public-private skills alliances at the regional level; develop innovative curricula and training resources using new methodologies; provide inclusive opportunities for professionals from diverse backgrounds and facilitate their integration into the sectors; and launch an awareness-raising campaign about the TCLF sectors and their career opportunities.