UNIVERSITY PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPING THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP FOR TRANSFORMING UKRAINE’S TEXTILE, CLOTHING, LEATHER, AND FOOTWEAR SECTOR

On September 22, 2026, academic staff from the Faculty of Arts and Fashion - specifically Larysa Bilotska and Alla Rubanka, who serve as guarantors for educational programs in the field of Light Industry Technologies (G15) - participated in an online focus group regarding workforce and skills. This session was part of the development of the Strategic Roadmap for the transformation of Ukraine’s textile, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) sectors for the 2026–2035 period.

The event was organized by the Ukrlegprom Association with the support of the Reconomy program, which is implemented by the Swiss international cooperation organization Helvetas.

The series of online sessions aims to discuss pressing industry issues, identify opportunities, and define strategic priorities for the sector's development. The findings from these focus groups will be submitted to Charles Dagher, an international expert from the consulting firm NexusX, to inform the subsequent development of an industry roadmap.

The focus group on workforce and skills brought together representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office, manufacturers (such as PJSC Volodarka, PJSC VKF Lesya, LLC Rito, and many others), higher and specialized pre-higher education institutions, and suppliers of equipment and technology. The meeting was moderated by Tetiana Izovit, President of the Board of the Ukrlehprom Association.

Participants focused on key issues such as staffing the sector with qualified personnel, identifying current and future professional competencies, developing the specialist training system, and aligning educational programs with industry needs.

Specifically, guided by the focus group agenda, participants discussed critical technical skill gaps; the demand for industrial engineers and specialists in automation and digital technologies; future competency requirements through 2035; and issues regarding social sustainability and workforce development.

A distinct part of the discussion focused on the educational ecosystem and the readiness of educational institutions to meet the demands of industrial transformation. Key topics included the relevance of educational programs; training specialists for the textile, garment, footwear, and leather industries; developing competencies in industrial engineering, automation, ESG, and digital manufacturing; and integrating Industry 4.0 and sustainability concepts into the educational process.

Collaboration between the education and industry sectors was a central theme of the focus group. Participants examined the effectiveness of interactions among educational institutions, enterprises, industry associations, government bodies, and development partners, as well as potential ways to strengthen this cooperation to meet the sector's workforce and skills needs.

The participation of educational program guarantors in the focus group demonstrates the university community's engagement in a professional dialogue regarding the development of human capital and educational support for Ukraine’s textile, garment, leather, and footwear sectors.

Involving representatives from higher education institutions in the development of the Strategic Roadmap ensures that the industry's educational and human resource potential is taken into account when defining transformation priorities for the 2026–2035 period.

We are confident that through the joint efforts of the scientific, educational, and business communities, we will create a modern educational ecosystem that supplies Ukraine’s light industry with highly qualified and competitive personnel.

24.09.2026