Innovative Skills for an Old Vocation

Background and Problem

Industrial footwear manufacturing – like numerous other sectors – is confronted with the profound upheavals brought about by the megatrends of globalisation, digitalisation and sustainability. These developments have a direct impact on work processes, competence requirements and qualification profiles. At the same time, the sector is characterised by a pronounced work-process orientation that must be preserved and developed further. While technical innovations, ecological requirements and social transformations are increasing, deficits are evident in the adaptation of existing initial and continuing training provision (IVET/CVET) to these changed requirements. There is a lack of systematically grounded analyses that show in a differentiated way how individual dimensions of these megatrends affect specific Spheres of Activity (SoA) in industrial footwear manufacturing.

Research question

1. What specific effects do the roughly 20 sub-dimensions of each of the megatrends of globalisation, digitalisation and sustainability (e.g. migration (G), virtual reality (D) or reducing water consumption (S)) have on the 18 identified Spheres of Activity (SoA) in industrial footwear manufacturing?

2. How can curricula in initial and continuing vocational training be developed further on the basis of these differentiated impact analyses in a way that meets needs and suits practice?

3. Which didactic concepts are suitable for successful curricular and didactic implementation while preserving the sector's work-process-oriented logic?

Approach

The project is being implemented in five work packages with the following focuses:

1. Survey and analysis: development of a scientifically grounded matrix to map the impact relationships between the trend dimensions and the SoA.

2. Course development: didactic design and structuring of continuing training provision on the basis of the impact analyses.

3. Piloting: delivery of a total of 15 courses in Germany, Portugal and Romania, five per country, with participants from IVET and CVET.

4. Evaluation and quality assurance: formative and summative evaluations of the pilot measures, including SWOT analyses.

5. Transfer strategy: development and implementation of transfer mechanisms for the permanent curricular integration of the project results into existing education provision and systems.

The project work is carried out in close cooperation between education, research and industry partners from three European countries.

Results

• Differentiated impact analysis: a first result of the project is a systematically structured matrix that maps, on an empirical basis, the effects of around 20 specific dimensions of each of the megatrends of globalisation, digitalisation and sustainability on the 18 Spheres of Activity (SoA) in industrial footwear manufacturing. The matrix serves as the core analytical instrument for the curricular development of VET in the sector.

• Training manuals: on the basis of the impact analysis, a total of twelve quality-assured, practice-oriented training manuals are being developed. These contain didactic concepts, curricularly embedded learning scenarios and methodological-didactic recommendations for teaching technical and key competences in a manner suited to the target audience. The manuals relate to those SoA that are particularly strongly affected by the respective developments.

• Training courses: five courses relating to specific SoA in industrial footwear manufacturing are being designed and piloted in each of Germany, Portugal and Romania. The courses address trainees (IVET) and employees (CVET/HE) and include both workplace-based and digital learning formats. Evaluation is systematic and comprises qualitative and quantitative surveys.

• SWOT analyses: structured SWOT analyses (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) are being carried out as part of the evaluation of the pilot courses. These analyses provide an evidence-based foundation for revising existing curricula, developing new education provision and integrating innovative content into national VET systems on a lasting basis.

• Sectoral VET: beyond its immediate products, the project aims to strengthen transnational cooperation structures and to bring about evidence-based reform of initial and continuing vocational training in the industrial footwear manufacturing sector. The results contribute to the European debate on the adaptability of traditional occupations to new socio-economic requirements.

Dissemination and Transfer Activities

The project results are disseminated through the following channels and transferred to the professional community and relevant stakeholder networks:

• Publication on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform

• Production of multilingual information materials and policy briefs

• Involvement of sectoral stakeholders, including from VET institutions, industry associations and standardisation bodies

• Use of existing partnerships for curricular integration at national level (e.g. via ANQEP in Portugal)

• Seul, Arina; Mihai, Aura; Saniter, Andreas; Costea, Mariana; Lupu, Raluca (2026): Impact of Sustainability, Globalisation and Digitalisation on Romanian Footwear Manufacturing, in: Guxho, G.; Spahiu, T. K.; Xhafka, E.; Sulejmani, A.: Proceedings of the Joint International Conference: 5th Conference on Engineering and 11th Textile Conference, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 498 – 508.

The results for the 18 SoAs developed in the earlier DIA-CVET and ICSAS projects can be found via the links in the blue box.