Through the agreement, Mango and the CSDMM-UPM will develop a training program that will run throughout 2024. The objective is to train designers and buyers of all Mango lines, as well as members of the Quality team, in areas such as recycling processes, the latest developments in more sustainable materials and fibers, certifications and labeling, and the application of circularity criteria in the design of collections.
Mango collaborates with the CSDMM-UPM of Madrid to train more than 250 employees in sustainability. The programme, aligned with Mango's Sustainable Vision 2030 strategy, focuses on circular design, eco-friendly materials and insights from industry experts. The partnership reflects Mango's commitment to talent development, academic alliances and a more sustainable business model.
The training sessions, which will include presentations, informal talks and round tables and will encourage debate among those present, will feature the participation of renowned sector experts and CSDMM-UPM course professors, including the expert in sustainable development and supply. chains, and consultant in sustainable transformation for multinationals and small and medium-sized companies, Luis Barros Presedo; the Doctor in contemporary art and cultural director specialized in fashion and ecodesign, Román Padín; the professor and consultant, expert in the social and environmental impact of the fashion sector, and founder of the Slow Fashion Next training platform, Gemma Gómez; the professor associated with the IE School and specialist in digital transformation, communication and corporate management, Javier Plazas; the expert in the fashion sector in areas such as purchasing, production and business development, Tania Rodríguez-Pomar; and the deputy director and professor of the CSDMM-UPM, Mercedes Rodríguez.
The agreement, formalized on January 12 by Andrés Fernández, director of Sustainability and Supply at Mango; Leila Rettali, global director of Talent and Organizational Development at Mango; and Guillermo García-Badell, director of the Higher Center for Fashion Design of Madrid (CSDMM-UPM) of the Polytechnic University of Madrid; and signed by Guillermo Cisneros Pérez, dean of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and president of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the Promotion of Design in the Community of Madrid (FUNDISMA), managing entity of the CSDMM-UPM, is part of the Mango project. its commitment to building relationships and alliances with academia, its talent attraction and retention strategy and its sustainability roadmap.
According Andrés Fernández, director of sustainability and sourcing at Mango: “For us it is an honor to establish an alliance with the Madrid Fashion Design Center, a leading institution in the fashion industry with extensive knowledge in sustainability. I am convinced that with their experience we will move towards more sustainable collection, reduce our impact on the planet and improve our impact on society.”
For Guillermo Cisneros, the dean of the UPM, “one of the objectives of our university is to improve society through the generation and transfer of knowledge and the training of future professionals. To achieve this, we promote alliances with institutions and companies in engineering, architecture, sports and fashion, and in this specific case, with Mango.” Cisneros also highlighted the importance of this alliance, given that it is “an excellent opportunity to continue working closely with the industry and lead social change from a sector like fashion, so important for our country.”
“This program represents another step for the CSDMM-UPM, after more than 35 years training professionals in a strategic and leading sector in our country at the university. Sustainability is now a requirement of the sector. “We work with the large groups in the sector and the fact that Mango now has our experience to face this challenge motivates us to maintain our commitment to innovation and research,” he adds. Guillermo García-Badell, Director of the Higher Center for Fashion Design of Madrid (CSDMM-UPM).
For Leila Rettali, global director of talent and organizational development at Mango: “Training our teams is part of our strategy to attract and retain talent at Mango. In 2023, our company was recognized by Forbes as one of the best employers in the world for having an attractive and differentiated value proposition, which we want to continue promoting, based on our company values, training and development, remuneration and benefits for our employees. “.
An alliance with three objectives
The collaboration between Mango and the CSDMM-UPM has three objectives. First, establish relationships and alliances with the academic world through leading institutions involved in improving education and generating knowledge. Secondly, strengthen the differentiated value proposition of professional development and employee benefits. And thirdly, take a big step forward in its sustainability strategy towards a more sustainable business model.
The collaboration agreement with the Polytechnic University of Madrid is part of Mango's commitment to the academic world. In addition to the alliance with UPM, the company also has agreements with education and training organizations, as well as with some of the most important design universities in the world. The objective of these collaborations is to promote research and develop students' skills, instilling values and good practices in talent for their professional future.
In line with its commitment to people, the training of its teams is part of Mango's talent attraction and retention strategy. The company has an attractive and differentiated value proposition based on the company's values, remuneration and benefits for its employees. In 2023, Mango's nearly 15,500 employees received almost 365,000 hours of training courses given by the company with the aim of training and enhancing its internal talent through development programs.
In addition, the training program is part of its sustainability strategy, Sustainable Vision 2030, which focuses on three key areas of action: Committed to the Product, Committed to the Planet and Committed to People. One of the objectives of these strategic policies is to move towards an increasingly sustainable product and collection, prioritizing materials with lower environmental impact and incorporating circular design criteria, and reducing its impact on the planet and working towards total transparency and traceability. of your supply chain.
For their part, the Higher Center for Fashion Design of Madrid (CSDMM), Spain's National Fashion Award, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) have been continuously adapting their teachings since 1986. The CSDMM and the UPM are pioneers in consider fashion as a university discipline, incorporating the Official University Degree in Fashion Design, a Master's Degree in Technology and Innovation in Fashion Design, a UPM Doctoral Course with Fashion as a specific discipline and a Double Degree Course in Fashion from the UPM and in Commerce from the UCM (Complutense University of Madrid). The Higher Center for Fashion Design of Madrid occupies first place as the best University in Spain to study fashion among all Degrees in Design, according to the U-Ranking Report of the BBVA Foundation and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research.
The CSDMM-UPM also has a vocation for research and knowledge transfer, with a clear orientation towards innovation and sustainability, areas in which the CSDMM has agreements with large groups in the sector. Furthermore, since their inception, the CSDMM and the UPM have opted to have prominent national and international fashion designers in their courses, where they explain design techniques and the reality of the sector.
Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.
Fiber2Fashion News Desk (RM)
