The AEQUALIS4TCLF project (Addressing Skills Gaps in the European Textile, Clothing, Leather and Footwear TCLF-industries, with a focus on Equality, Innovation, and Resilience) is a four-year Erasmus+ “Alliances for Innovation” initiative running four years starting from 2024. The consortium brings together nineteen partners from Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovenia and the Netherlands, representing industry associations, chambers of commerce, higher education and vocational education institutions. The project is coordinated by EURATEX - European Apparel and Textile Confederation, representing the interests of the European textile and clothing industry at the level of the EU institutions.

The project aims to address skills shortages in the TCLF-sectors by conducting comprehensive skills needs assessments and gap analyses in participating regions, developing new curricula and learning materials at both vocational and higher education levels, and piloting training programmes that respond to emerging digital, green, and sustainability demands. A strong emphasis is on equality, inclusion, and diversity, ensuring that training and employment opportunities are accessible to underrepresented groups and migrant workers, and that all activities promote fairness and non-discrimination.

In the poster presentation in ECER we are focusing on the piloting process of the learning program developed in the project. The pilot plan is built upon the Work Package WP4 of the project, led by the partners in the Faculty of Textile Technology of University of Zagreb in collaboration with the project partners from the VET and HE sectors. In WP4, based on extensive experience with the development of international study programmes and successful implementation of micro-credentials in Croatia, a total of eight (8) thematic micro-credentials (MCs) were created. Each of the 8 MCs follows a standardized structure and includes 40 courses (usually 1–2 ECTS/ECVET) that formulates 18 modules of 1-3 courses. The modules are planned to meet the current and expected needs of the industry. The curriculum aims to offer comprehensive learning opportunities for both HE and VET students as well as adults in working life seeking for upskilling and reskilling education in TCLF.

In the Work package WP5 led by the partners in The Faculty of Textile Engineering of the Technical University of Liberech (TUL) the deliverable 5.1 Learning Strategy Document makes a firm basis for building the pilot plan. Each MC formulates the learning materials guidelines for which has been developed in the WP5.

Tampere University of Applied Sciences TAMK is responsible for planning the piloting process and publishing the “Lessons Learned Report” of the process. The DigiCampus learning management system has been chosen as the platform for the piloting process. DigiCampus has been created in TAMK to promote and offer digital education platform and pedagogical support for projects, networks, and stakeholder collaborations coordinated by universities making possible also cross-institutional studies.

The pilot plan is to be ready for implementation by September 2026 and in the poster we are presenting the planning process and the research plan to be conducted during the implementation of the piloted modules and courses. The piloting process is also planned as a co-research with partners and also with the participants of the courses and modules to be piloted. The research is based on pedagogical mode of address (Hakala 2007) that is inviting and inciting participants to study and learn the course content and based on that they are also welcomed, encouraged and supported with the teaching and learning design to collaboration for developing new perspectives and orientations to try out new innovations, practices and methods in using their new competencies. The participants of the piloting process are invited to give feedback and suggest improvements for the contents and methods of the course.

The research is conducted on the piloting process based on the principles of co-research and collective production of knowledge (Hakala 2007, Holmen et al. 2026, Kulmala et al. 2023, ). The data is collected to the DigiCampus -platform following GDPR-principles. The data management plan follows principles of Tampere Univeristies (TUNI) and The Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK. The participants sign the informed consent giving permissions to use the data for the research. The research plan is to be negotiated and agreed upon with the consortium members during spring 2026 and will be written as a part of the pilot plan that is to be ready on September 2026. Feedback collection will be organized from piloting students with a standardised digital feedback form that will be created and embedded in each DigiCampus course. The form will include general questions applicable across all pilot courses and course-specific questions tailored to the content or learning experience. From staff, project partners and stakeholders a suitable method for gathering feedback from teachers, project partners, and external stakeholders will be defined. The chosen method should allow systematic collection of insights regarding implementation, workload, pedagogical practices, and cross-institutional collaboration and also, how the competences gained from the courses can be implemented in the TCLF-sector practices. Feedback will be collected in a standardized format, from each course separately, from all students participating in piloting process. Staff members involved will also provide feedback. All responses will be systematically analyzed, and appropriate adjustments will be made to course content, materials, shared practices, and workflow processes based on the findings.

The final goal of the piloting of the learning program of AEQUALIS4TCLF -project is to open an online platform for global TCLF-professionals and stakeholders as a TCLF Learning HUB offering user-friendly, accessible learning management system containing e.g. e-books, videos, webinars, and online courses which are relevant, practical, up-to-date, aligning with the training programs' learning objectives that are tested and developed further based on the analysis and interpretations of the piloting process. As the project has objectives to unify Europe in skilling and reskilling the TCLF workforce by expanding the reach of previous projects of EURATEX in enabling the TCLF industry to better prepare for the future and achieve a sustainable and circular economy (ILO 2019). The piloting process is to address the skills gap in the TCLF industry by promoting partnerships, identifying specific skills needed, and developing new curricula for a more sustainable industry. It also promotes social inclusion, safety, and compliance through integrated workshops and guidelines. The learning program and the HUB is aiming to promote sustainable and innovative production models, contributing significantly to the TCLF sector in the EU.

Hakala, Katariina. 2007. Paremmin tietäjän paikka ja toisin tietämisen tila. Opettajuus (ja tutkijuus) pedagogisena suhteena. Doctoral Thesis. University of Helsinki, Department of Education: Research Report 212. Helsinki: Yliopistopaino Holmen, A. K. T., Hovland, J., Røhnebæk, M., & Tronsmo, E. (2026). Co-research: Methodological opportunities and challenges. Nordic Journal of Innovation in the Public Sector, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.18261/njips.4.1.5 ILO - International Labour Organization (2019). The future of work in textiles, clothing, leather and footwear. International Labour Office, Sectoral Policies Department. – Geneva: ILO. Working Paper: No. 326. Kulmala M., Spišák S. & Venäläinen S. (eds.) (2023). Kanssatutkimus. Ihanteet ja käytännöt. Tampere: Tampere University Press.