Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products sector - European

46 Pages·2009·1.85 MB·English

Textiles, wearing apparel
and leather products sector
Comprehensive sectoral analysis of emerging competences
and economic activities in the European Union
European Commission
Submitted to the European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs
and Equal Opportunities
Executed by:
Economix research and consulting
DG EMPL project VC/2007/0866
Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products sector
This report is published as part of a series of forward-looking sector studies on New Skills and New
Jobs in the frame of the project Comprehensive Sec-toral Analysis of Emerging Competences and
Economic Activities in the European Union. Textiles, wearing apparel
This publication is commissioned under the European Community Pro-gramme for Employment and
Social Solidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013). and leather products sector
This programme is managed by the Directorate-General for Employment, social affairs and equal op-
portunities of the European Commission. It was established to financially support the implementa-
tion of the objectives of the European Union in the employment and social affairs area, as set out in
Comprehensive sectoral analysis of emerging competences
the Social Agenda, and thereby contribute to the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy goals in these
fields.
and economic activities in the European Union
The seven-year Programme targets all stakeholders who can help shape the development of appro-
priate and effective employment and social legislation and policies, across the EU-27, EFTA-EEA and
EU candidate and pre-candidate countries. Executive Summary
PROGRESS mission is to strengthen the EU contribution in support of Mem-ber States’ commitment.
PROGRESS will be instrumental in:
1. providing analysis and policy advice on PROGRESS policy areas;
2. monitoring and reporting on the implementation of EU legislation and policies in PROGRESS
policy areas;
3. promoting policy transfer, learning and support among Member States on EU objectives and
priorities; and
4. relaying the views of the stakeholders and society at large
The full study is available under the link
http://ec.europa.eu/restructuringandjobs
For more information see:
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/progress/index_en.html
The information contained in this publication does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of
the European Commission.
© photos 123RF
For any use or reproduction of photos which are not under European Communities copyright, permission must be
sought directly from the copyright holder(s).
European Commission
Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Unit F3
European Commission
Manuscript completed in 2009
Textiles, wearing apparel
and leather products sector
Comprehensive sectoral analysis of emerging competences
and economic activities in the European Union
Executive Summary
The full study is available under the link
http://ec.europa.eu/restructuringandjobs
European Commission
Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Unit F3
Manuscript completed in 2009
Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission may be held
responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this publication.
© 123rf
For any use or reproduction of photos which are not under European Communities
copyright,permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder(s).
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Preface
Education and of society and the economy, as a
training, in the means to increased competitive-
context of a life- ness and growth, as well as to
long learning greater social cohesion, in Europe.
perspective, are
an indispensable This is more important than ever in
means for pro- the current situation of crisis that
moting adaptability and employabi- will undoubtedly lead to substan-
lity, active citizenship, personal and tial changes in economic activities
professional fulfilment. in Europe coming years.
Investment in human capital With this in mind, the Commission
through better education, and the has elaborated a set of analysis of
development of skills and compe- emerging competences in 18 sec-
tences should be increased. It is tors. Those analysis are available
important to anticipate skills needs to all economic, social and profes-
— and also skills gaps — which are sional organisations, educations
emerging in the European labour and training institutions, etc. They
market, as well as to improve the can help them to refine their stra-
matching of knowledge, skills tegies and to engage into forward-
and competences with the needs looking actions.
Robert Verrue
Director-General, Employment,
Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG
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Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products sector
Aims and methodology
The renewed Lisbon strategy and by a number of other initiatives over
European Employment strategy the oncoming year and beyond. The
stress the need for Europe to place current economic crisis calls for the
more emphasis on a better antici- reinforcement of policies aimed at
pation of skill needs together with developing the employability of the
the need to reduce labour markets workforce. This project fits within
mismatches. These policies aims this policy objective.
also at minimising social costs
and facilitating adaptation during 18 sector studies,
restructuring processes through one methodology
a better anticipation and positive
management of change. Globalisa- The results of this study aim to serve
tion, technological change, climate as a guide in launching further EU
change and demographic develop- and other actions to promote the
ments (including ageing and migra- strategic management of human
tion) in that respect pose huge chal- resources and to foster stronger
lenges, comprising both risks and synergies between innovation,
opportunities. In that context, the skills and jobs, taking into account
Commission has launched recently the global context and encourag-
the New Skills for New Jobs initiative ing adaptations to national and
together with other related Euro- regional level.
pean projects aimed at identifying
future job and skills needs using To validate, add and complement
quantitative modelling approaches. the findings of the project and
While having advantages of robust- to make sure that results are dis-
ness, stakeholders as well as the seminated as broadly as possible
European Commission identified a across Europe, relevant stakehold-
clear need for complementary more ers including European social part-
qualitative forward-looking analy- ners, other services from the Com-
sis. Consequently, the European mission with the expertise in the
Commission commissioned in 2007 sectors analysed, representatives
a series of 18 future-oriented sector from the European Parliament,
studies (horizon 2020) on skills and the European Economic and Social
jobs following a uniform, qualita- Committee, the Committee of the
tive methodology. Results of these Regions, Eurofound and Cedefop
studies have become available in were involved in the project from
summer 2009, and will be followed the beginning.
4
Aims and methodology
Sectors Covered
Automotive industry
Defence
Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products
Printing and publishing
Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastic products
Non-metallic materials (glass, cement, ceramic…)
Electromechanical engineering
Computer, electronic and optical products
Building of ships and boats
Furniture and others
Electricity, gas, water & waste
Distribution, trade
Hotels, restaurants, catering and related services
Transport
Post and telecommunications
Financial services (bank, insurance and others)
Health and social work
Other services, maintenance and cleaning
A standard predefined methodo- for emerging competences and
logy was developed by a panel of occupation profiles in terms of
experts under the direction of Prof jobs expanding, transforming or
Maria João Rodrigues and applied declining, and their implications
to all 18 studies to ensure consis- in terms of strategic choices and
tency and comparability of the subsequent recommendations for
results, the studies being produced companies, education and trai-
by different contractors. ning systems, social partners and
public authorities at all levels. This
Based on the basic methodologi- foresight methodology implies an
cal framework, each contractor approach combining desk research
executed 7 defined steps, starting and expert knowledge.
with the mapping of main trends,
key drivers of change, leading to At the end of each sector study a
scenarios of plausible evolution final European workshop for the
and their implication for employ- sector was organised by the Com-
ment at the year 2020 time horizon, mission to validate results as well
the identification of implications as refine recommendations. In
5
Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products sector
addition to European Commis- of all sections were summarised
sion and Eurofound staff, about in a SWOT analysis and were used
20 experts per workshop from as input to identify key drivers.
industry, academia and sector
organisations including workers Drivers of change
and employers’ representatives with
a sound knowledge of jobs and On the basis of the mapping of
skills were invited to comment and the sector, a set of key drivers,
provide recommendations to the sector specific or not, was identi-
report as part of the methodology. fied. Literature review and expert
knowledge of the sector were
Brief description of then used to define a conclu-
the methodological steps sive list of sector-specific drivers.
Drivers were classified as exo-
Mapping genous or endogenous depen-
ding on the ability for the sector’s
The main purpose of this analy- stakeholders and policymakers
sis was to provide factual back- to influence them. These lists of
ground to identify key drivers drivers were also discussed in the
used in the subsequent scenario experts’ panel workshops.
development. Consequently, the
Report analysed recent sector Qualitative scenarios and impli-
developments and trends and, at cations for employment trends
the same time, depicts the current
state of play in the sector with an The set of selected sectoral drivers
emphasis on innovation, skills of change served as an input to
and jobs. It was based on an anal- develop scenarios for the evolution
ysis of available time series data of the sector and implications for
and relevant existing studies. It different occupations (composition
analysed 1) structural character- of employment / emerging compe-
istics (production, value added, tences) in the period 2008 to 2020.
employment in various dimen-
sions, and related factors); 2) Implications of scenarios
the value chain; 3) technological and emerging competences
change and innovation; 4) trade
and international competition as Scenarios were built to assess the
well as 5) regulation. The results implications for the level (absolute
6
Aims and methodology
demand) and composition (relative were looked at in this step of the
demand compared to other job methodology, focussing more
functions) of employment of dif- particularly on the specific role
ferent job functions by 2020. New to be played by sectoral organi-
and emergent skills required by dif- sations, educational institutions
ferent job functions were identified and governments such as a stron-
based on the analysis of the evolu- ger cooperation between stake-
tion of past data on employment holders or an increased flexibility
by occupation, on the analysis from through modularisation of educa-
the present situation and of experts’ tion and training.
comments during the workshop.
The focus was on identifying and Recommendations
describing key and critical com-
petences for the future for each of Each sector study contains spe-
the major occupational function in cific recommendations to the
relation to the different scenarios sector. However, with the studies
elaborated. These formed the basis analysing Europe as a whole, the
for the strategic choices identified recommendations remain ge neral
in a next step. and need a follow-up at the
national and regional level. The
Strategic choices for companies to intention of the project especially
meet emergent competence needs in the follow up phase is to use the
results to stimulate stakeholders
Each sector study assessed possible at lower territorial levels (national
strategic choices in terms of feasi- / regional) to work out results in
bility and actor involvement. The more details, repeat and adapt this
options comprised recruiting wor- exercise to local needs rather than
kers from other sectors, countries, providing standardised solutions.
recruiting graduates, re-training Some general recommendations
employed workers as well as chang- call for an intensified co-operation
ing work organisation. between relevant stakeholders, the
need to invest strongly in human
Specific implications capital, more standardised regu-
for education and training lations, enhanced VET to increase
social mobility and coordinated
Options to improve or to adapt National and European Vocational
education and training systems Qualifications.
7
Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products sector
General findings
European TCL industries have in 2005 gave these trends a further
passed through stormy weather push. Mass-production largely dis-
over the past decades1: attacked appeared from high-wage areas in
by competitors from Asia and faced the EU while low-cost areas – the
with heavy price competition on New Member States, Portugal and
consumer markets, the industry Greece – could keep at least parts
was driven by globalisation – and of TCL production.
used it as a sheet anchor at the
same time. Big retailers emerged In 2006 the TCL industry employed
and organised global supply chains. 3 million workers. In spite of slowly
Producers, in parallel, relocated growing demand, low productivity
parts of their production to low- and strong international competi-
cost countries in order to remain tion, those firms which remained
competitive. This was boosted by on the markets achieved profit
huge wage differentials on global rates comparable to other small-
labour markets and high profits sized sectors. Also with the help of
from trade. Production could only low wages, firms were able to sur-
sustain in low-cost areas of the vive and to perform economically
European Union and in specialised well. This must also be attributed
high-quality market segments. Sig- to the entry of the New Member
nificant restructuring was needed States (NMS), Romania and Bulgaria
to transform the industry into com- in particular.
petitive producer networks, as was
the case in Italy and France. The industry developed three main
strategies to meet competitive
The industry, nevertheless, lost one pressure:
third of both production volume
and jobs within a ten year period • A cost-oriented approach which
from 1996. It had to accept con- used relocation to low-cost coun-
tinuously rising import shares from tries, including the NMS, as its
low-cost countries – China in parti- major instrument
cular. The phasing out of the Agree-
ment on Textiles and Clothing (and • An innovation-oriented approach
agreements in the leather sector) diversifying the spectrum
towards high-quality and spe-
1TCL is the acronym for the NACE sectors 17 to 19: cialty textiles products
manufacture of textiles, wearing apparel, leather, leather
products and footwear.
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