New Project To Survey Textiles Clothing And Footwear Industry Challenges

Skills Insight and ForestWorks have begun consulting with textile, clothing and footwear organisations to understand their workforce challenges, skills requirements and whether the national qualifications meet their needs.

As an essential part of Australia’s ecosystem, the textile, clothing and footwear industry works to cloth us, furnish our homes and enrich our lives – which is why consultations will be focussed on uncovering its underpinnings and key drivers for success.

“Stakeholder consultations are quickly uncovering important insights on a broad industry crosssection, such as the high cost of operating in Australia compared to overseas and the focus of training packages on sewing and machinist skills,” says Andrew Cameron, Executive Officer Industry Stewardship and Insights at Skills Insight.

“We’re also learning about how growing consumer demand for locally made, ethical products keeps jobs in Australia and shifts focus to quality craftsmanship. The growth in textile repair, reuse and recycling is also predicted to have a significant industry impact, including the development of new skills in eco-friendly production and design.”

Organisations participating in consultations will be asked to share their own insights and answer questions about the industry, its challenges and opportunities , including:
• Circular economy, recycling and sustainability
• Dry cleaning, laundry and alterations
• Fashion design for production
• How rising interest in ethical products has led to increased opportunity for quality craftsmanship
• Industry activities, structure, size, employer types, locations
• International competition
• Manufacturing, materials, advanced technologies
• Workforce labour shortages, trends, technical upskilling.

“The qualitative research methodology we use will help us deeply understand the industry’s priorities and determine how participant organisations currently address their biggest challenges, opportunities and training barriers,” Andrew says.

“The research aims to identify whether the national training package meets current skills needs in order to support the creation of future workforce initiatives.” 2 03 9321 3526 PO Box 466, North Melbourne, VIC 3051 Skillsinsight.com.au

Find out more

Stakeholder participation from all textile, clothing and footwear sectors is encouraged.

Visit the project webpage to have your say.
Read the 2024 Skills Insight Workforce Plan for more information.
Subscribe to the Skills Insight newsletter for project updates.

This Jobs and Skills Council project is being managed with the support of ForestWorks as part of their collaborative partnership with Skills Insight. Skills Insight is a Jobs and Skills Council funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. For more information visit skillsinsight.com.au