The circular economy represents an opportunity to address labour market imbalances and threats. Circular economy policies are expected to help reduce environmental impacts while generating higher levels of employment. Moving towards a more circular economy, GDP in the EU is projected to increase by almost 0.5% by 2030. According to the Cambridge Econometrics, Trinomics, and ICF (2018) report, the net increase in estimated occupations will be approximately 700,000.
In the coming years, the sectors that produce and process raw materials will decrease in size, while the sectors of waste management, recycling and repair will experience additional growth.
If a sustainable circular economy is to be implemented, the quality of such work is paramount to its success, improving that quality by improving workers’ skills, including environmental and health, and safety skills.
For this reason, the CE-IP project aims to develop new training solutions that can help match the expected expansion of green employment opportunities with skilled workers, to promote a shift towards a more sustainable economy.
Our project will provide training solutions related to existing jobs in the recycling sector, and a new green and fair job opportunities for low-skilled adults, including unemployed youth.
The activities to be developed will focus on the generation of new skills and opportunities to have access to green and fair occupations, mainly related to the circular economy in terms of garment waste management.
For this reason, the project will focus on the circular economy in the textile sector.
The target groups of the project are:
Self-employed, unemployed and low-skilled workers who come from other productive sectors.
Trainers of continuing education systems who teach courses for adults related to new employment opportunities
Other goals are:
Promotion of self-employment related to these activities in low-skilled workers.
Creation of new innovative training solutions related to opportunities in the circular economy.
The Association that will develop the project is made up of six organizations from five countries:
Jaume I University of Castellón as project leader (Spain).
AEGARE- Association of Galician businessmen in Aragon and the banks of the Ebro (Spain).
Cologne Business School (Germany).
Social Innovation and Cohesion Institute (Greece).
Razvojna agency Sotla (Slovenia).
CNIPA Puglia (Italy).
There will be a course on key concepts in the circular economy aimed at 18 sustainability experts from partner organizations to exchange ideas and generate a mutual understanding of the key concepts of circular economy and sustainability.
In addition, the following intellectual results will be generated:
O1. Training guide for circular economy management strategies for micro-enterprises.
O2. 360º web-based multimedia training resources on good practices and innovative ways to extend the life of textile products.
O3. E-learning training course for trainers on circular economy.
Within the development of this intellectual product, a pilot course will be launched for 60 trainers, the final result of which will be the fact that each trainer will design a training course for unqualified adults.
180 unemployed, self-employed and low-skilled workers will take part in the tests of the intellectual results of the project.
As a result of the implementation of the project are expected:
The development of the teaching skills of adult trainers related to the circular economy.
Innovative training solutions in this field through the use of digital technologies.
Foster the circular economy through the generation of micro-enterprises in the activity of garment waste management (textile sector).
Development and diffusion of the circular economy as an employment opportunity for low-skilled adults in a situation of exclusion from the labour market, from other productive sectors.
