Vocational Education & Training towards re-inventing apparel procedures

ongoing

Apparel industry is a diverse sector that plays an important role in European manufacturing industry. According to the European Commission, this particular industry employs over 1.7 million people and generates a turnover of EUR 166 billion per year. Although a constantly evolving sector, trying to maintain its competitiveness and quality through products with added value, apparel products do have damaging impact for the environment. According to United Nations Environmental Programme, today, fashion accounts for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output – more than international flights and shipping combined. It also accounts for a fifth of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally each year. As commonly known, the word “polyester” – encountered in most apparel products is a ubiquitous form of plastic deriving for oil, overtaking cotton as the backbone of textile production. Moreover, garments made from polyester and other synthetic fibres are a prime source of microplastic pollution – especially harmful to marine life. These negative impacts have their roots in a linear model that is characterized by low rates of use, reuse repair and fibre‐to‐fibre recycling of textiles and that often does not put quality, durability and recycling as priorities for the design and manufacturing of apparel. On the other hand, and taking into consideration technological progress and global trends, it is vital to put effort on the alteration of the fashion industry. The radical shift towards more sustainable practices demands skilled and educated persons who are able to understand negative environmental footprint and drive towards change. Vocational education and training could play a key role into setting the foundations of creating “the green designers” of tomorrow, interested not only on the final products but the whole production oriented into more sustainable habits, including material collection processes, design & sewing, energy consumption and distribution.