Launched: July 2025
The challenge
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is France's leading textile region, with over 800 establishments and 18,000 professionals. It supports a wide range of activities, from luxury fabrics and technical textiles to traditional craftsmanship such as silk weaving and Jacquard loom production.
Despite generating €3.5 billion in revenue, the sector faces challenges that threaten its sustainability and competitiveness(Data Textile sector, Observatoire Compétences Industries (OPCO 2i), 2022: https://observatoire-competences-industries.fr/en-chiffres/), including rising energy costs, limited raw materials and the demands of the ecological transition.
Workforce challenges also persist, with 63% of companies struggling to fill key roles. An ageing workforce, shifting skills demands and limited training capacity have intensified these challenges.
The ambition
The Regional Skills Partnership for Textile Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes aims to build a strong and adaptable workforce. By fostering innovation, improving training systems, and uniting policymakers, businesses and educators, it aims to strengthen the sector’s adaptability and competitiveness.
Its strategy centres on three priorities: anticipating evolving skills needs; promoting lifelong learning and inclusion; and attracting and retaining talent in textile careers. These priorities are backed by four key objectives to strengthen the sector’s adaptability and European reach.
Firstly, the Partnership will monitor industry trends to provide a clear understanding of ongoing changes. This will support the sector in staying responsive in a region where market conditions vary – technical textiles are experiencing growth, while fashion and clothing face greater challenges.
Secondly, it will foster collaboration by serving as a regional hub for stakeholder dialogue.
Thirdly, it aims to improve access to information about its initiatives, making them more visible and accessible.
Finally, it will position Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as a leading European textile region by actively contributing to the TCLF Skills Alliance and building on EU initiatives such as the Pact for Skills and the TCLF SkillBridge.
The commitments
The Regional Skills Partnership has committed to a set of actions to help companies adapt to new skills requirements.
It will design new training frameworks and transform existing courses to meet companies’ needs. A key focus will be on sustainability, including recycled dyeing, eco-design and training future trainers.
The Partnership will monitor emerging issues such as AI adaptation to stay ahead of technological trends. To promote lifelong learning, the Partnership will expand access to training through school-based education, apprenticeships, continuing education, validation of prior experience (VAE) and on-the-job training. It will also offer training in textile recycling and technical textiles to support upskilling across the workforce.
To attract and retain talent, the Partnership will boost the visibility of textile careers through websites, social media and events. By embracing new technologies and strengthening links between companies and students, jobseekers and career-changers, it aims to make the sector more accessible and appealing to a wider audience.
The impact
The Regional Skills Partnership will launch a training initiative to preserve traditional textile craftsmanship, alongside a framework to help companies adapt to economic, technological, environmental and societal demands. Through the FIDALEXT programme, the Partnership will bring together textile companies to strengthen leadership, manage complexity and foster intergenerational inclusion across the workforce.
It will also provide educational tools in the form of an easily transportable case, based on an escape game, designed to raise awareness of three textile professions: tailor-pattern-maker, printer-dyer, and weaver-knitter.
To improve European cooperation and position Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as a leading textile hub, the Partnership will take part in the TCLF SkillBridge project which focuses on fostering Regional Skills Partnerships in the TCLF industries. Activities will include a National Networking Event, a Mobility Programme, and a Call for Services to support SME skills development, running from 2025 to 2026. Learn more about regional cooperation under the Pact for Skills through our news item.
View the document below to learn more about the Regional Skills Partnership for Textile Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
