Opportunities in the textile sector for people and for the planet.

<< Background >>Textil4all was created in response to a double deficiency in European policies: on the one hand, the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles, which requires qualified personnel in repair, eco-design and traceability; and on the other hand, the market for vocational employment training, where analysis has revealed deficiencies in training programmes that combine technical skills and abilities, environmental awareness and entrepreneurship; and, on the other hand, persistent female unemployment, which is above average in the disadvantaged neighbourhoods of San Cristóbal de los Ángeles and in the outskirts of Thessaloniki, aggravated by precariousness and language barriers. Previous research carried out by ECyS and Envolve confirmed that it is of the utmost urgency to provide access to training and employment for vulnerable sectors in both regions, in order to promote access to decent employment and boost the local social economy, within the Sustainable Challenges. With Textil4all, we wanted to link these two needs and create a transnational network that directly connects students with SMEs, clusters and administrations.<< Objectives >>Textil4all was created with a dual objective: to offer adult women at risk of exclusion a real path to employment and, at the same time, to accelerate the circular transition of textiles in line with the EU Strategy for Sustainable Products. To achieve this, we designed a programme that combined technical training, leadership development, and business networking.20 workshops were held in the neighbourhoods of San Cristóbal de los Ángeles and Thessaloniki, where participants acquired skills in: Awareness of the problem of fast fashion and its negative impact on the environment, textile recycling, waste management, eco-design, traceability and digital marketing or key skills for accessing green jobs. At the same time, we aimed to connect this talent with the market: networking forums coordinated by Finnova brought together SMEs, clusters and local authorities, facilitated internship contracts and encouraged the establishment of cooperatives focused on the collection and recovery of textile waste. The ultimate goal was for each student to finish with a viable business plan, a transnational network of contacts and the confidence necessary to exercise leadership in their community.<< Implementation >>The project was structured into three linked activities. First, a curriculum of 20 modules on ecodesign, repair, and circular entrepreneurship was developed, supported by multimedia guides where students recorded their progress. Second, two workshop-classrooms were set up in San Cristóbal de los Ángeles and Thessaloniki, where sessions combined technical training with hands-on workshops, using a case-based method adapted to each country’s reality, with leadership exercises and business model simulations. Experts in sustainability, recycling, sustainable materials recovery, and social economy were invited. Each session ended with personalized mentoring from Envolve’s mentor network and Finnova fellows specializing in the green economy. In parallel, webinars on upcycling, digital passports, and online marketing strengthened digital skills and reduced travel. The third activity transformed training into real opportunities: Finnova mapped 120 actors in the circular textile ecosystem and held three networking forums, the last in Brussels during EU Green Week and Textile Recycling. The project closed with a replication guide and all resources uploaded to the Erasmus+ Results Platform.<< Results >>The project delivered six tangible results: first, a complete curriculum with modules on ecodesign, repair, and circular entrepreneurship, along with teaching materials that remain accessible on the Erasmus+ Results Platform. Second, twenty in-person workshops trained seventy unemployed women and generated individual digital portfolios for each participant, including a business plan, Canvas model, and a functional prototype. Third, two workshop-classrooms were equipped with industrial machinery and recovered materials, now available to local entities for future editions. The fourth result was the creation of a dynamic database of 120 circular textile ecosystem actors—SMEs, clusters, and public administrations—used to organize three networking forums, including a final event held at the EU Green Week in Brussels to enhance visibility. Fifth, a trilingual replication guide (Spanish, Greek, and English) was published, detailing the applied methodology step by step and already requested by interested municipalities. Finally, the consortium submitted two follow-up proposals, one to COSME-SMP and another to Erasmus+ KA220, ensuring continuity and scaling of the impact beyond the funded period.