Sweden’s textile and fashion sectors are changing rapidly as they respond to the green and digital transition. In the Borås region, companies are adapting to circular production, traceability, automation and new sustainability requirements.
At the same time, employers face ongoing skills shortages. The biggest gaps are in areas such as textile recycling, fibre technology, digital design and meeting new rules.
The region also has an ageing workforce, while fewer young people are choosing textile-related education and training. Cooperation between education providers, industry and public authorities also needs to improve so that skills support better matches the sector’s needs.
The ambition
The Regional Skills Partnership wants to make the Borås region and Sweden a leading Nordic hub for skills and innovation in the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sector.
It aims to strengthen cooperation between education, research and industry. It also wants to make sure workers have the skills needed to meet EU sustainability and digitalisation requirements.
The partnership will also help make careers in textile and fashion more attractive and support a stronger, more future-ready labour market.
The commitments
To reach these goals, the partnership will create a coordinated system to track changing skills needs across the region.
It will also develop new training modules, short courses and micro-credentials in areas such as circular textiles, digital product development and automation.
A new Regional Skills Hub will support lifelong learning, work-based learning and training for small and medium-sized enterprises. The partnership will also expand apprenticeships and internships across the sector.
By improving cooperation, offering targeted training and setting clear goals, the partnership will help close skills gaps and support the sector’s move towards greater sustainability and innovation.
Inspired by this Regional Skills Partnership? Read the Partnership Declaration below.
- Publication date
- 1 April 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion