March 2026, European Footwear Confederation (CEC)

European leather goods combine centuries of craftsmanship with strong growth, high profitability, and a significant contribution to regional economies across the European Union’s high-end fashion industry. The sector currently employs up to 150,000 people in the EU. However, this workforce is no longer sufficient to meet growing global demand. At the same time, industry faces two major challenges.

First, the ongoing innovative transformation of the sector, where the intelligence of the hand must be enhanced by the latest digital and green technologies, remains largely unknown to students, who represent the future workforce responsible for preserving Europe’s heritage in leather craftsmanship.

Second, existing education and training programmes do not adequately address the evolving qualification needs of current employees. Rapid technological change requires continuous upskilling, yet the sector struggles with insufficient qualification levels, limited attractiveness to young people, and difficulties in retaining new talent.

If these challenges are not addressed, European manufacturing companies risk losing competitiveness and weakening Europe’s long-standing expertise in leather goods.

The Erasmus+ Learning Factories project aims to modernise and upgrade training processes in the leather goods sector by placing companies at the centre of education and skills development. Bringing together technology providers, industry representatives, consumer organisations, leather goods SMEs, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers, the project has developed:

• Four flexible and agile multilevel short-term curricula focused on green and digital skills in the leather goods industry.
• Four set of contents on digital and green skills (Zero Waste Design, AI Supporting Design and Pattern Making, 3D Printing Supporting Prototyping, Digital Transformation of the Added Value Manufacturing Operations) openly available on the Learning Factories website.
• A digital scanning tool for the identification of training needs inside the companies.
• A manual for trainers/teachers/tutors in the workplace on how to use the project outcomes.

Using a bottom-up approach, the Learning Factories model reshapes how vocational education and training is designed and delivered. Companies are empowered to:

• Clearly identify their evolving skills needs.
• Co-design practical and industry-relevant curricula.
• Implement short, targeted learning pathways aligned with production realities.
The model also supports the recognition of these learning pathways within existing education and training systems, creating opportunities for further qualifications and professional progression.

Learning Where It Matters Most

The project promotes a new generation of flexible learning content that can be delivered directly in the workplace and combined with hands-on, work-based activities. This approach enables learners to acquire skills exactly where they are needed, on the job, through a more engaging and effective learning experience.

By strengthening collaboration between companies and VET providers, the project establishes a forward-looking framework for modern, industry-led skills development, ensuring that Europe’s leather goods sector remains competitive, innovative, and attractive to future generations.

Discover more about the project by following us on LinkedIn and visiting the project website.