WORK: Fashion + Sustainability Jobs of the Future launch event

L to R: Professor James Bennett, Associate Professor Timo Rissanen, Sophie McConnell, Dr Unni Kuzhiumparambil, Dr Lisa Lake, Ainsley Simpson, The Honorable Steven Whan M.P, Yatu Widders-Hunt, Raf Marcellino and Sophie Drysdale

We are immensely proud to have officially launched our much-anticipated report, WORK: Fashion + Sustainability Jobs of the Future on Tuesday 28 April. The release of this report marks a significant step in supporting Australia’s fashion and textiles sector as it continues its sustainability transformation. 

The report was officially launched by NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, the Hon. Steve Whan, at the UTS Business School. In his address, Minister Whan emphasised the importance of aligning education and training with industry needs, particularly as sustainability reshapes job roles and expectations across the sector. 

The Honorable Steven Whan, Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education

The report brings together voices from across industry and education to explore what a resilient, future-focused workforce might look like. Identifying 20 emerging roles across three categories: The Business of Fashion Sustainability, Design + Circularity and Technology + Advanced Manufacturing. The report maps out the skills and capabilities needed to support a more sustainable and circular fashion system in Australia. 

Developed through collaboration between industry representatives, including brands, retailers, designers and manufacturers, along with academics from UTS and TAFE NSW’s Fashion Design Studio, WORK reflects a shared understanding that the future of fashion will demand new ways of thinking, making and working. 

Hosted by our Centre Director Dr Lisa Lake, the event brought the report to life through a panel discussion moderated by Sophie McConnell, a former CoE project manager who is now marketing manager of the Social Outfit. The panel featured Ainsley Simpson, CEO of Seamless; Yatu Widders Hunt, Managing Director of Cox Inall Ridgeway; Associate Professor Timo Rissanen of UTS Fashion + Textiles; Dr Unni Kuzhiumparambil of the UTS Climate Change Cluster and Sophie Drysdale, Education Project Manager at the Centre of Excellence and Fashion Lecturer at the Fashion Design Studio, TAFE NSW. 

Together, the panel unpacked key findings from the report, highlighting that the future workforce will need to operate across disciplines, blending creative practice with systems thinking, cultural knowledge and technical expertise. Discussions explored the growing importance of roles such as circular designers, sustainability strategists, supply chain analysts and materials innovators, alongside the need for skills in lifecycle thinking, data literacy, stakeholder engagement and ethical decision-making. As Ainsley Simpson noted, “Soft skills are hard core” when it comes to sustainable transitions. 

Panellists also pointed to the critical role of Indigenous knowledge, policy alignment, and industry accountability in shaping meaningful change. The conversation reinforced that building a sustainable fashion sector is not just about new roles within the sector, but about redefining existing ones. There was also emphasis on embedding sustainability into every part of the fashion ecosystem, including raw materials, design, sourcing, production and distribution. 

The event created space for a broader dialogue with industry leaders in attendance, who shared insights into the practical challenges and opportunities of transitioning toward more responsible business models for the fashion industry. A clear message emerged: collaboration between education providers, industry, and government will be essential to equip both emerging and current professionals with the skills required for this shift. 

WORK: Fashion + Sustainability Jobs of the Future reflects the Centre’s mission to grow the capacity of the Australian fashion industry for a sustainable future. By identifying the roles and capabilities that will shape what comes next, the report offers both a roadmap and a call to action for the sector. 

Download your free copy of the report here.