The challenge of preserving valuable professional knowledge and developing the right skills for textile employees is a pressing issue in the sector. This became evident during the first event of the TexChange project. The day's central message was that by sharing knowledge, expertise, and training opportunities, tomorrow's training offerings can be strengthened.
The day began at PTI Kortrijk, the last secondary school in Flanders offering specific textile education. Teachers and students explained the workshop's operations and demonstrated how the next generation is being prepared for a future in the textile sector. This underscored the importance of continued investment in specialized textile education and the transfer of technical knowledge and craftsmanship.
Subsequently, in Texture, the museum of flax and textiles in Kortrijk, the results of a large-scale survey by IDEA Consult among textile companies in Flanders, Wallonia, and Northern France, conducted as part of TexChange, were presented. The study maps the current and future training and competency needs of the sector, with a focus on production operators and textile technicians.
A striking finding from the study is that 98% of respondents indicate that employees are trained by colleagues on the job. Simultaneously, two-thirds fear that important professional knowledge will be lost in the coming years due to retirement. The results highlight the importance and vulnerability of knowledge transfer within the sector and form a basis for TexChange's ongoing activities.
The partners of TexChange and TCLF Skillbridge presented their projects and ambitions. A key objective of TexChange is the development of a cross-border textile network where companies, training providers, and other textile stakeholders collaborate more closely. By sharing knowledge, expertise, instructors, and training infrastructure, the project partners aim to strengthen and better align the training offerings with the sector's needs.
Attendees were invited to help build this network. Those interested in sharing expertise, making training infrastructure available, or jointly developing new training opportunities can contact the TexChange partner in their region: michel.loncke@cobot.be for Flanders, laure.vandermensbrugghe@cefret.be for Wallonia, and anne-sophie.giraud@uith.fr for France.
