In view of automation and digital transformation, TRANSTEX seeks to improve the employability of manual workers in the textile industry in Flanders through a focus on soft skills.

TRANSTEX has developed the mobile app ‘talent scan’, which is used at company level by workers. The ‘talent scan’ is an anonymous 10-question situational test that assesses four soft skills: flexibility, working together, dealing with change, and willingness to learn. At individual level, the app provides constructive feedback on the person’s current skills and suggests new skills. The aggregate results from the test are shared with the company to provide an overview of the soft skills of the company’s employees.

In parallel, TRANSTEX carries out a ‘company scan’, where company management (Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or HR department) engages in a survey and interview to provide an overview of company work processes, the state the digitalisation process, and plans in place for the coming years. Both tests are then used in a combined analysis by leading project partner, COBOT. The outcome is tailored advice and an action plan to develop the skills, competence and change-readiness of the most vulnerable workers, ultimately improving the company’s worker retention rate.

During the first phase of the project, the team explored the challenges for the target group and worked on a concept of a new, innovative service that would meet their needs. That concept was deemed promising by a jury of experts in December 2020.  

The main organisations involved in the project are:

• COBOT (leading partner);
• Antwerp Management School, which provides a scientific view, including analysis of the interviews and focus groups;
• Centexbel and the Textile Federation, which provide inputs that are specific to textile industries and support outreach to companies;
• Maka De Lameillieure (VIVES University of Applied Sciences), a digital innovation expert who develops the ‘talent scan’ and ‘company scan’

The expert jury approved the further development of the project, including testing, piloting and evaluation for the next two years. Each jury was tailored to a project, depending on the challenge the concept was trying to solve. ESF looked for three people each with thematic expertise (from a policy perspective, practice or through academic knowledge) and one person with expertise in social innovation.

The results of the impact evaluation will be available in November 2022.

Consultation was an important part of the approach, with the organisation of several focus group meetings to develop the questionnaire: focus group with manual workers to highlight the critical situations to be included; focus group with social partners on reaching out to the target group; and focus group with training institutions, to develop the possible advice on skills that need to be strengthened.

The mobile app and questions were tested with manual workers and social partners, and received extremely positive feedback. The app is easy to use and the situations presented in the questions are familiar to the users.

The service offered by TRANSTEX is being piloted in two-three companies, with the intention of mainstreaming and transferring it to other sectors (e.g. construction, food industry, steel industry, wood sector).

A business plan is in place to mainstream the service to other companies in the textile sector in Flanders on completion of the pilot project. This will entail a yearly subscription for companies, giving them access to the ‘talent scanner’ app and training from COBOT to analyse the results. In addition to this, the service could be used in other sectors (e.g. heavy industry) that will also undergo substantial changes in response to automation and digitalisation.