A transition to a fully circular economy will only come about if we equip our workforces with the expertise they need to thrive, writes CIWM’s Senior Director of Policy and Education Katie Cockburn.
The resources and waste management sector is at the forefront of putting circular economy (CE) principles into practice to deliver sustainable growth, but this requires an expanded workforce equipped with advanced green skills.
These skills are the specialised competencies needed to advance sustainable processes and systems. In resources and waste management, they enable integration of CE principles, focusing on maximising material value, enhancing resource recovery and innovating waste-to-resource solutions.
Green skills underpin key activities, including: sustainable product design; increased and advanced recycling and recovery; valorisation of waste streams; digital integration and data analytics; policy implementation; and stakeholder engagement.
‘Greening’ our existing skills will require retraining to disrupt our current thinking and move our sector towards one core and challenging question: how can we do this better?
How can we do this better?
Internationally, the transition to circular economies is driving demand for a workforce capable of addressing systemic challenges, such as resource efficiency, critical materials scarcity, climate change and pollution.
According to the International Labour Organisation, green transitions could create 24 million jobs worldwide by 2030. By investing in diverse and inclusive green skills development globally, nations can share innovations, optimise resources, and collectively advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2024, CIWM (The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) acquired the Circular Economy Institute (CEI), including its 10,000+ global club members. We can play our role by serving as a hub of knowledge, innovation and collaboration, and standardising best practice across members internationally.
The CEI training programmes and certifications, expected to launch later this year, can equip individuals from a wide range of professions with globally recognised training, credentials, membership and lifelong learning. Watch this space!
Attracting a more diverse workforce is essential for addressing the skills gap. Research by Energy & Utility Skills suggests our sector has an ageing workforce, with lower than national average representation of women and ethnic minorities.
Diverse workforces bring varied experiences, perspectives and problem-solving approaches, which are invaluable in tackling complex challenges.
By fostering smarter practices, the sector can broaden its talent pool, enhance innovation and improve decision-making. To sustain the sector’s transition, we must draw in a new generation of sharp and skilled professionals that propels the UK’s resource resilience forward.
What is CIWM doing?
In recent months, CIWM has been busy moving forward a number of initiatives to aid the sector in bridging the talent gap.
- Early Careers President and Ambassadors Team: We’re embracing the insights and experiences of early careers professionals to reach out to new audiences.
- EDI online learning: We have funded a sector-specific equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) e-learning programme and made this available free of charge. Supported by the CIWM Sector Inclusion Forum, this training will shift perspectives to foster a more inclusive workforce.
- Sector training programmes: We’ve developed two programmes to provide a comprehensive foundation in the core topics shaping the sector to professionals at all levels. The programmes cover everything from legislation to the principles of the resources and waste sector.
- Resource Revolution Centre Competition: We’ve funded The Sustainables Academy to bring resource management awareness to primary schools across the UK.
- Skills for the Future Expert Group: Enabling CIWM and its partners to focus on training, development and skills trends, data and effective mechanisms to unleash potential and drive growth across our sector.
By prioritising green skills, businesses can thrive and grow, unlock efficiencies, reduce environmental impacts, and strengthen economic resilience.
Green skills are the foundation of a future-facing sector capable of navigating circular systems and realising their full potential – of finding innovative answers to the question ‘how can we do this better?’
