NEW PROJET: “Upgrade of skills for young designers, fashion graduates and start-ups in the cross-border area and development of a Fashion Employment Hub” 

 FINANCED BY: Interreg – IPA CBC “Greece –Republic of North Macedonia” Programme 

 START DAY: 19 .11.2021     

END DAY: 19. 05.2023 

DURATION: 18 months 

 PARTNERS  

Lifelong Learning Center of Region of Central Macedonia, Greece 

Hellenic Fashion Industry Association (SEPEE) – Greece 

Textile Trade Association – Textile cluster, Republic of North Macedonia 

PROMO IDEA Strumica, Republic of North Macedonia 

 ABOUT THE PROJECT  

 The proposed project aims at creating a Fashion Hub which will act as an Employment Hub of cross border character and impact offering integrated and innovative support services, tools and knowledge to professionals and prospective fashion entrepreneurs. 

The Fashion employment hub will act as a unique  center bringing together all stakeholders involved in the fashion industry,providing them with new training skills and professional competences. It will also facilitate the exchange of innovative ideas and sustainable methods, enhance the know -how transfer and promote creative thinking and development. 

The focus on the project is on the letter curricular parameter, the human capital capacity building, especially of young educated graduates that form a significant part of the national workforce of the two countries. After all, the sector is in need of skilled employees and executives, as well as of competitive services.  

The general objective of the project is to address the common cross-border challenges of the fashion sector by establishing a Fashion Employment Hub and an antenna that will support SMEs and young graduates in the fashion and fashion-related sectors (footwear, leather, jewelry). 

EXPECT OUTPUTS OF THE PROJECT (TANGIBLE AND VISIBLE OUTPUTS OR PRODUCTS RELATING TO THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES)  

The outputs of the project include the following 

  -Progress reports, expenditure verification report, minutes from 5 technical meeting,quality plan guide and interim / external evaluation report  

   -Elaboration of communication and dissemination of results plan  

   -Project identity with a logo, slogan, etc  

   -Project website  

    -Printed and electronic information materials with leaflets, usb sticks, with information material, posters, brochures, e newsletter  

-Organization of one major International Final Event 

– Elaboration of a Plan on the Capitalisation and Sustainability of the project’s results 

-Elaboration of guides material for the consulting services 

– Establishment of a Fashion Centre in Thessaloniki 

– Provision of training services on sources of funding for the development and implementation of new business and exports activities – fashion business management, for 25 beneficiaries 

 -Provision of blended e-Training services on the use of innovation tools & software upon fashion Design in Textile industry, for 25 beneficiaries 

-Provision of training services on technical guidelines, international standards & the use of sustainable materials, e.g. OEKO-TEX, ECO-LABEL, etc, for 25 beneficiaries 

-Accreditation of trainees  

-Elaboration of assessment report on training actions 

-Provision of individual consulting services to 25 beneficiaries on key aspects such as product costing, fashion branding 

-Provision of individual and group consulting services to 25 young enterpreneurs and start-ups 

-Provision of pilot consulting services to 25 beneficiaries on the design and development of new fashion trends and collection patterns, creativity development, connecting heritage and new fashion trends, fashion trends analysis 

– Organization of 3 info-days for businesses and graduates in the RNM 

– Organization of 3 forecasting presentations and new designers’ collections in GR  

-Organisation of networking events in the frame of Athens Fashion Trade Show 

NEW PROJET: “Upgrade of skills for young designers, fashion graduates and start-ups in the cross-border area and development of a Fashion Employment Hub” 

 FINANCED BY: Interreg – IPA CBC “Greece –Republic of North Macedonia” Programme 

 START DAY: 19 .11.2021     

END DAY: 19. 05.2023 

DURATION: 18 months 

 PARTNERS  

1. Lifelong Learning Center of Region of Central Macedonia, Greece 

1. Hellenic Fashion Industry Association (SEPEE) – Greece 

1. Textile Trade Association – Textile cluster, Republic of North Macedonia 

1. PROMO IDEA Strumica, Republic of North Macedonia 

1.  ABOUT THE PROJECT  

 The proposed project aims at creating a Fashion Hub which will act as an Employment Hub of cross border character and impact offering integrated and innovative support services, tools and knowledge to professionals and prospective fashion entrepreneurs. 

The Fashion employment hub will act as a unique  center bringing together all stakeholders involved in the fashion industry,providing them with new training skills and professional competences. It will also facilitate the exchange of innovative ideas and sustainable methods, enhance the know -how transfer and promote creative thinking and development. 

The focus on the project is on the letter curricular parameter, the human capital capacity building, especially of young educated graduates that form a significant part of the national workforce of the two countries. After all, the sector is in need of skilled employees and executives, as well as of competitive services.  

 The general objective of the project is to address the common cross-border challenges of the fashion sector by establishing a Fashion Employment Hub and an antenna that will support SMEs and young graduates in the fashion and fashion-related sectors (footwear, leather, jewelry). 

EXPECT OUTPUTS OF THE PROJECT (TANGIBLE AND VISIBLE OUTPUTS OR PRODUCTS RELATING TO THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES)  

 The outputs of the project include the following 

  -Progress reports, expenditure verification report, minutes from 5 technical meeting,quality plan guide and interim / external evaluation report  

   -Elaboration of communication and dissemination of results plan  

   -Project identity with a logo, slogan, etc  

   -Project website  

    -Printed and electronic information materials with leaflets, usb sticks, with information material, posters, brochures, e newsletter     

Organization of the major  Internal Final Event  

   -Elaboration of a plan on the ca[italisation and sustainability of the project results  

    -Project identify with a logo, slogan etc 

    -Project website  

     -Printed and electronic information material with leaflets  

     -Organization of one major international final event  

     -Elaboration of a plan on the capitalisation and sustainability of the projects results  

     -Provision of training services on technical guidelines,international standards and use of the sustainable materials e.g.OEKO- TEX, ECO LABEL …  

     -Provision of individual and group consulting services to 25 young entrepreneurs and start ups 

    -Provision of pilot consulting services to 25 beneficiaries on the design and development of new fashion trends and collection patterns, creativity development, connecting heritage and new fashion trends and fashion analysys  

   -Organization of 3 info days for business and graduates in the RNM  

   -Organization of 3 info days forecasting presentations and new designers collections in GR  

    -Organization of networking events in the fame of Athens Fashion trade show  

CURRENT PROJECT
NEW PROJECT : UNITED BALKAN ACTIVITIES
FINANCED BY : USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise
Growth Project (EDGE)
START DAY : 19.04.2022
END DAY : 30.04.2023
DURATION : 12 MONTHS
PARTNERS :
Fashion Apparel Cluster Serbia (FACTS)
Proeksort Albania Association (PEA) and Textile Trade Association Textile Cluster
ACTIVITIES
Activity 1: Increased capacities to use new sales channels and expand
market linkages: e-commerce, digitalization, fashion industry trends data

This activity is about branding, use of digital tools in promotion and sales, e-commerce and
industry fashion trends. This activity foresees the following milestones:
1. Subscription for WGSN London fashion forecast platform
2. Live trainings in Belgrade “Digital marketing & e-commerce” and on spot know-how
exchange “Visual merchandising and branding”
3. Web platform for project partners information exchange
Activity 2: Improved business competitiveness and sophistication in the
value chains: compliance with social standards
The main focus of this activity is placed on the following:
1. Compliance with social standards
2. Conference with matchmaking event and study tour in Skopje

Activity 3: Increased visibility of regional cooperation and reduce barriers to
cross-border trade (regional trade, regional cooperation for entering new
markets, promotion, match making) – B2B meetings
Each of the partners in this project will be responsible for one of the activities.
This activity focuses on increased regional cooperation and reduction of barriers to cross-
border trade. B2B meeting are an important tool for improving regional cooperation in the
textile and apparel industry. There are two B2B meeting planned.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the sustainable economic growth of
the textile industries in Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia. Specifically, the project aims
to improve competitiveness of the textile – apparel production companies operating within
the clusters and increase export, to gain certifications needed for their export activities,
improve cross country cooperation and to increase the number of new clients. The project
will strongly cooperate with the educational institutions, members of the three partners. The
set of the activities will be organized in the scope of the project realization and will consist of

3 parts: 1) branding, ecommerce, digitalization and fashion trends data, 2) compliance with
social accountability standards and 3) match making, establishing business linkages,
networking and internationalization.
The benefits from the project are in the two directions: 1) strengthening the capacities of the
partners’ clusters in improving the existing and developing new services for their members
and 2) improving companies (clusters’ members) competitiveness and initiating cooperation
between companies in the Balkan region and wider.
The project partners are clusters with the long-term experience in developing and running
cluster activities, representing the textile industry in front of the government institutions,
international markets and foreign buyers. All of the partners have experience in offering
services for their members such as human resource development, export promotion and
match making, joint procurement, cooperation with educational institutions and
implementation of the significant number of domestic and foreign financed projects.