Skill education gap impedes UK's circular fashion transition

A growing skills gap in technical fashion education could slow the UK’s transition to a circular economy, according to a new industry report highlighted by Ecotextile News.

The report, developed through the “Back to Baselines” project and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, warns that a decline in technical education and fragmented professional development is creating barriers to circular fashion adoption. It notes that while environmental regulations are increasing, textile education infrastructure is shrinking, with many technical and vocational courses closing across the UK.

Researchers identified four key categories of skills required to support the shift to circularity: technical skills, specialist knowledge, cross-functional capabilities, behavioural competencies.

Without strengthening these areas, the report suggests the industry may struggle to redesign products, scale recycling systems and implement circular business models.

Partnership between education and businesses

The findings align with broader industry research emphasising the need for closer collaboration between education and business. A related skills study referenced by industry stakeholders highlights that sustainability responsibilities often fall to workers who have “learned on the job,” reflecting gaps in formal training pathways.

The warning comes at a time when the UK fashion sector is under pressure to accelerate circular practices such as reuse, repair and recycling, which require specialised technical knowledge across design, manufacturing and end-of-life processing.