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Four main drivers appear to determine the future of European textiles, clothing and leather (TCL) industries: global competition, the extension of the knowledge base, market changes, and environmental aspects. Using these drivers, three alternative scenarios were developed by this study: (1) ‘globalisation limited’ sees considerable effects from climate change. Rising environmental costs will change the system of global trade and set new priorities for consumers, governments and producers. TCL industries will become more European or even regional under these conditions; (2) ‘Asian dominance - European excellence’ assumes that emerging countries will improve their specialisation in industrial manufacturing and the [European Union] EU will strengthen its technological lead. Production activities will largely disappear from European TCL industries but a great need for technical specialists and natural scientists will emerge; and (3) ‘advanced new Member States’ describes how the EU and low-cost countries among the Member States are going to defend the industrial basis in Europe. Facing the strongly negative effects of globalisation on manufacturing employment (and TCL employment in particular), a comprehensive policy program aims to revive industrial jobs. All three scenarios result in a further decline of employment. The study recommends: developing the knowledge base; fostering innovation strategies; and strengthening regional policies.

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This provisional study of the clothing sector in Portugal is part of a series of sectorial studies and renders as concrete an action of the Great Options of the Plan axis 'to consolidate the infrastructures which support the professional training system'. The report summarises the provisional results of the study of the clothing sector within the framework of the 'Evolution in Qualifications and Diagnostic of Training Needs' project. These results indicate: (1) the diagnostic of the sector relating to employment, the markets and products, the organisational models, the technology and human resource management, and their respective effects on qualifications and skills; (2) the scenarios for the evolution of these factors and their effect on employment, qualifications and skills; (3) the elaboration of professional profiles based on both the present jobs as well as target jobs; (4) the survey and a brief analysis of the training network available; (5) the identification of the training needs; and (6) the identification of other interventions necessary to compensate possible lack of skills and increase the competitiveness of the sector. The chapters are: Boundaries of the sector; Diagnostic and prospective of the sector; Evolution of jobs, qualifications and professional skills; Diagnostic of training needs and pointers for the reorientation of professional training; Conclusions and other strategies to respond to skill needs. This study also includes a supplement containing professional profiles, scenarios and specification of the levels of knowledge. Show less