Textile skills give unemployed individuals an edge in a new industry

Three groups, each consisting of participants who have been out of the job market for an extended period, will take part in the project over nine months. The project began with a focus on health and working life before shifting its focus to textiles. The first group has just completed their time at the Swedish School of Textiles and is now moving on to internships in the second-hand industry.

“They have learned how a fibre becomes yarn and then fabric. We have worked with printing and dyeing and how to create a product from the material. We have also worked on repairs – mending and fixing garments and textiles,” explains Tuser Biswas, postdoctoral researcher in textile technology who leads the Swedish School of Textiles' part of the project.

In addition to the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås, other project partners include the Gothenburg Region, the organisations Doing Good and Coompanion, and it is financed by the European Social Fund.

“In this project, there was a demand for knowledge in an area that doesn't yet exist on the market – something that will be important in the future. With the waste directive, solutions are needed to handle textile waste, and the hope is that participants in this project will have valuable skills and be able to start working in this industry at short notice,” Tuser Biswas explains.

Education as Part of the Solution

“In this project, we are trying to address the upcoming waste challenge with education. However, this education is not as intensive as our regular courses and programmes. We have tried to be flexible and adapt to the participants’ prior knowledge and to what we can offer in two weeks,” says Tuser Biswas.

Positive Participants

Nino, one of the participants, previously had experience in creating and redesigning garments.

“I have done a lot on my own before too. I have always been punk in that way – if there are no resources, I still go ahead. These weeks at the Swedish School of Textiles have been fun; it has been very positive to try everything out and luxurious to come here, meet all the great teachers, and be in the facilities.”

Looking forward to the internship at a second-hand shop, Nino feels prepared:

“We will get to choose from textile waste that cannot be sold. Instead, we will create something new out of it!”

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About the project Remake Textile