Mexico also has to deal with the lack of skilled labour. “The shortage of qualified workers to contribute to the development of a technologically advanced sector, capable of producing innovative footwear, is one of the weaknesses that must be faced in the short term” said José Isabel Arias Frías in his inaugural speech as the new President of Cicej, the Chamber of the Footwear Industry in the state of Jalisco, where it has been estimated that there is a shortage of 2,000 skilled workers. We Italians know something about this in general and more specifically, so do we, as readers of LaConceria: only during the last few days, news of a series of training opportunities for both young people and entrepreneurs who complain how artisanal professions do not seem to appeal to young people nowadays. Going back to the state of affairs in the state of Jalisco, the training of the workers will be promoted through the Innovation and Prototype Leadership Centre (Clip) that deals also with the integration of new technologies in factories. Besides the lack of labour, the new President also focused on the illegal importation of shoes. In fact, according to Frìas, every day, Mexico allegedly imports 20 million pairs of shoes. The National Chamber of the Footwear Industry of the State of Guanajuato should also join forces to combat this phenomenon.
