The Leonardo project "Step 2 Sustainability" - Sustainable manufacturing in Europe: A new occupational profile and training opportunities .

Sustainability must start by our feet! This is what the new project ââ?¬Å?Step To Sustainabilityââ?¬Â wants to transmit to us by addressing skills shortage and new curriculum in the sustainable manufacturing of footwear. The project was launched yesterday at the premises of the leader, the Footwear Technology Centre of Portugal in S. Joao da Madeira, Porto.

Under the European Commission Life Long Learning Programme, the Leonardo project ââ?¬Å?Step To Sustainabilityââ?¬Â brings together a transnational partnership composed by education and training providers, technological centers and businesses, i.e. a Sector Skills Alliance that intends developing and piloting a new occupational profile on footwear sustainable manufacturing as well as the correspondent training opportunities.

The partnership of the project includes three technological centers (the Portuguese CTCP, the Spanish INESCOP, and the Slovenian IRCUO), three educational and training providers (the Italian ARS Sutoria School, ISC Germany, the Romanian Gheorge Asachi Technological University of Iasi), the Czech Footwear and Leather Association (COKA), the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) and the Portuguese company Klaveness.

This first meeting concluded with the approval of the dissemination plan of this project that aims at reaching the main footwear markets of the EU28 through the CEC�s network. The participants also agreed on the parameters that will serve to evaluate the shortage of specific curricula required to obtaining more green products and processes, before developing the necessary e-training modules for developing a new occupational profile.

The project will last until 31st March 2016, when it is expected to reach a clear picture of the opportunities that a sustainable footwear industry can bring to consumers and companies.