According to data from the European Commission, the European industry will need 400 thousand new professionals before in certain sectors before 2030.
The European Commission has recently launched "Open your mind", a campaign created to attract talented people under 30 to study and work in strategical industries for the economy.
Through the EASME (Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), the European Commission aims for people to look for jobs without prejudice, mainly young people and to look at jobs opportunities other fields with a new perspective. The industries that the campaign wants to attract workers for include textile, clothing, tannery and footwear which particularly hold great weight and tradition in Europe, however, are not appealing to workers aged 14 to 30. The result, human resources constraints to companies.
To change a young adults perspective of these industries, the project will focus on capturing new talent and renew companies and business sectors that require 'new blood' to achieve the high level of competitiveness and innovation. To prompt action for the targeted audience, visits, meetups and open days will be organised in schools, companies and associations within the respective sectors, in which experts will provide information and opportunities for those that are interested.
Paulo Gonçalves, APICCAPS’ Director of Communications explained the project has come at a time of need for the fashion industry.
“At the moment, the fashion cluster in Europe employs over two million people and is notably relevant. It’s important to not only preserve the existing jobs but also attract a new qualified generation," he said.
“The roots of fashion were implanted in Europe and we should not lose that heritage. It’s not sustainable that 80% of the production of those sectors is located in Asia”.
