Training in Handcrafts for Refugee Empowerment, Autonomy, and Dignity (THREAD)

The Challenge

Young migrants across Europe continue to face significant structural barriers to accessing meaningful skills development and employment opportunities, particularly in creative and vocational sectors. Training programs are often poorly adapted to the needs of migrant learners and are delivered in environments that lack adequate support, limiting both social inclusion and professional integration.

In Cyprus and Greece, these challenges are compounded by language barriers, limited access to culturally responsive programs, and high rates of youth not in employment, education, or training. In Cyprus, state vocational training is primarily offered in Greek, making it inaccessible to many migrants. In Greece, high youth unemployment further restricts pathways to stable work. Young migrant women, LGBTQI+ individuals, and those living with disabilities face additional intersectional barriers that conventional programs rarely address.

What THREAD Sets Out to Do

THREAD supports young migrants aged 18 to 30 in developing practical, creative, and vocational skills in sewing and fashion. The project combines hands-on training with inclusive, supportive learning approaches to strengthen employability and social participation. At the same time, THREAD builds the capacity of young professionals working in migration, education, and training sectors, equipping them with tools and methods to deliver more responsive and effective instruction.

Specific Objectives

• To substantially empower young migrants by equipping them with sewing and tailoring skills that support economic independence and employability in creative and sustainable industries.
• To enhance the knowledge and capacity of young professionals and training providers in the skills development process of young migrants by providing tailored educational resources, best practices, and practical guidance.

Key Activities

• Conduct research involving primary and secondary data collection to better understand the needs, barriers, and lived experiences of young migrants and professionals in the sewing and fashion sector.
• Develop a digital Toolkit providing practical guidance, methods, and resources to support sewing and tailoring skills development, including instructional videos with multilingual subtitles.
• Deliver sewing and tailoring classes for 50 young migrants across Cyprus and Greece, focused on hands-on learning, creativity, and sustainable fashion practices.
• Deliver capacity building training for 30 young professionals focused on adapting teaching and support to the needs of diverse migrant learners.
• Host a fashion showcase event to highlight participants’ work and promote visibility, creativity, and intercultural exchange.

Who Benefits

THREAD directly serves two groups. The first is young migrants aged 18 to 30 in Cyprus and Greece, including asylum seekers, refugees, and individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with a particular focus on those facing intersectional challenges such as gender, disability, or LGBTQI+ status. The second group is young professionals aged 20 to 30 working in adult education, youth work, and migration sectors who need practical tools and inclusive methodologies to better support migrant learners.

Beyond direct participants, the project’s digital Toolkit will remain freely accessible online after the project’s completion, ensuring long-term benefits for educators, organizations, and migrants across Cyprus, Greece, and the wider EU.

Partners

1. Generation for Change CY (Coordinator) – Cyprus
2. ANKAA Project MKO – Greece

Project Details

Duration: December 2025 – June 2027

Funding Program:

THREAD is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme.