2023-04-30 07:48:29
While the recovery of the textile-clothing sector is confirmed, professionals are increasingly faced with a real shortage of skilled labor which can compromise the competitiveness of their companies. The subject was discussed at a forum recently organized by the Tunisian-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber, which provided an opportunity to reflect on solutions capable of ensuring the sustainability and development of a sector which weighs heavily in the Tunisian economy.
2022 has been a landmark year for the textile sector. With a record export turnover which exceeded 9.156 million dinars, an increase of 21% compared to 2021, the sector has regained its cruising speed and its activity tends to accelerate further during the year 2023. Paradoxically and in parallel with this rapid start following a decline due to the coronavirus pandemic, the shortage of labor is increasingly felt by manufacturers who are noticing a shortage of skilled workers at a time when the sector has seen new opportunities offered by the acceleration of the trend of relocation of European production units to southern neighboring countries.
The subject was recently put on the table during a forum organized, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Monastir, by the Tunisian-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce (Cctbl) on the theme “Development of the clothing sector and textiles by making quality resources available”. More than 200 stakeholders from the sector, local and representatives of partner countries, were invited to discuss the issue and to propose solutions and recommendations capable of ensuring the sustainability and development of a branch whose development must necessarily be sustained. rely on qualified human resources in the face of an increasingly demanding international demand that challenges Tunisian companies in the clothing and textile sector.
Maintaining business competitiveness, a priority
“This sector represents an important part of our economy, plays a major role in employment and the growth of our country. However, the lack of qualified workers in this field is a source of concern for companies and economic decision-makers”, indicated Kais Fekih, president of the Cctbl in his opening remarks.
Stressing that Tunisia has become a destination of choice for companies in the garment sector thanks to its strategic geographical position, its workforce as well as its favorable business environment, Fekih said that the rapid growth of the sector has highlighted the need for skilled labor to maintain the competitiveness of companies.
According to him, the development prospects for the sector are important, especially since Tunisia has already demonstrated a great capacity to adapt and to face up to economic challenges. He believes that this branch has the opportunity to transform into a more innovative sector, by focusing on the production of quality and environmentally friendly clothing that meets the needs of consumers who are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the products produced.
“The Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine are perhaps a blessing in disguise which might allow Tunisia to regain a place of choice compared to its international competitors. It is time to work together to invest in the clothing sector, but also in training and research. It is time to strengthen our ability to meet the economic challenges of tomorrow,” he concluded.
Accelerated growth
Underlining the important role played by the textile industry in the Tunisian economy in terms of job creation and balancing the trade balance, Saber Ben Kilani, representative of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines , recalled that 102 Belgian-Luxembourg industrial companies or companies with Belgian-Luxembourg participation are established in Tunisia, of which 74 operate in the textile and clothing sector, ie 73% of all companies in this sector. He claimed that as 4e As a client of Tunisia, the Belgo-Luxembourg union is an important partner for the country.
It alone accounts for 6% of the sector’s exports (more than 564 million dinars in 2022). “During the first quarter of 2023, exports of the textile-clothing industry reached 2,627 million dinars, an increase of 16.7% compared to the same period of 2022. If we continue on this even launched, we will break a new record in 2023”, he said in a statement to The Press.
The reasons for this lack
Indeed, despite the difficult national and international economic situation, the clothing and textile sector continues to be one of the main pillars of the Tunisian economy.
It is the second largest export sector in Tunisia since textile-clothing products represent 20% of total Tunisian exports in 2022. Textile companies numbering 1,457 (including 500 foreign companies or companies with foreign participation) represent 30% of industrial companies and employ more than 150,000 people. 10e supplier of the European Union in 2022 (2.3% market share), Tunisia is well positioned on this market even if the sector has enormous growth potential allowing it to further improve its position.
Despite this fine performance, the sector complains of a shortage of skilled labor that might compromise its competitiveness. And it is the figures from the Tunisian Vocational Training Agency that confirm this observation: the number of learners in the textile and clothing sector continues to decline, dropping from 4,752 in 2020 to 3,924 in 2022. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Baco-Group” explains this phenomenon by several factors that have pushed young people to shun work in textile factories. First of all, there is the attractiveness of the sector which frayed following its abandonment by the authorities from the 2000s. But also the notion of work has changed a lot: workers and machinists no longer want to work in a stressful environment.
The unfair competition that prevails in the sector is also an important factor that has led to the attrition of the workforce. “There are professionals who do not respect the laws in force. 40% of them do not align salaries with signed agreements,” he said. In addition, the sector is paying a heavy price for the scourge of migration, but also for the challenge of digital transformation which requires a transition to new professions. All these elements have certainly pushed young people to move towards other sectors, such as tourism, the automobile, paramedical and beauty professions. In addition, the concept of work has changed a lot and young people no longer accept the factory environment.
What solutions?
By way of recommendations, Ben Abdallah proposed to negotiate an agreement on the attractiveness of the textile-clothing professions, to review the branch agreements so as to guarantee employees better flexibility at work, but also to improve their well-being. be at work. According to him, it is also a question of emphasizing the reform of vocational training, the policy of which suffers from the absence of visibility, a low capacity for adaptation and poor management of the existing system. .
“Let’s create this bridge between companies, training centers, high schools, Iset and work in the professional environment so as not to create this gap between theoretical training and practical training”, he insisted. For Ben Abdallah, organizing employers into groups should also be a means of maintaining synergies between professionals.
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