Nadine Leder explains how industry engagement and innovative training opportunities are helping students develop valuable employability skills and prepare for the job market.
As the resource and waste management sector continues to drive the transition towards a more circular economy, developing green skills and attracting future talent has never been more important.
The challenge is not only about recruitment. It is about ensuring the next generation of professionals understands the opportunities, innovation and impact that sit at the heart of the sector.
What is the solution?
Earlier this year, CIWM Cymru, Dauson Environmental Group, and Cardiff Business School came together to deliver a different kind of training session.
Delivered as part of Cardiff Business School’s BSc Business Management Lunch and Learn series, the event brought 25 undergraduate and postgraduate students together to explore circular economy business models in an informal, engaging and highly practical setting.
The series is an extracurricular offering designed to enhance employability skills by giving students access to industry perspectives and exposure to real-world challenges, with previous sessions covering topics such as leadership, work experience and presentation skills.
For the final session of the semester, CIWM Cymru delivered a certified training workshop, providing students with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with the sector.
Led by Brian Royson Mayne, the session explored the principles and practical application of circular business models. Drawing on extensive experience within the resource and waste management sector, Brian encouraged students to look beyond recycling and consider the broader system, business models and innovations required to deliver a truly circular economy.
Through real-world examples and discussion, students gained an insight into what circularity means in practice, the impact of technology, and the role that resources and waste professionals play in enabling the transition.
No ‘Lunch and Learn’ is complete without lunch. With support from Dauson Environmental Group and its Sustainability Manager, Ben Maizey, who also volunteers on the CIWM Cymru Regional Committee, refreshments were provided for the students, helping to create a relaxed and informal tone for the session. This atmosphere proved key to the session’s impact.
Beyond the workshop content, students welcomed the opportunity for genuine interaction with the practitioners. The setting encouraged open discussion about careers, skills and the realities of working within the resources and waste sector, creating space for more honest and practical exchanges than a traditional classroom format typically allows.
These conversations often prove just as important as the formal training itself. They help students understand the breadth of career opportunities available, while giving practitioners a chance to engage directly with future talent and share first-hand insights from the sector.
Taken together, sessions like this highlight the value of closer collaboration between education and industry in building the skills needed to deliver a more resource-efficient and circular economy.
As the demand for green skills continues to grow, partnerships between education and industry will play an increasingly important role in preparing the workforce of the future.
Initiatives like this demonstrate how small interventions can create meaningful connections, raise awareness of the sector, and inspire the next generation of professionals who will help deliver a more resource-efficient and circular economy.
Speaking about the event, Siddh Sharma, Final-Year BSc Business Management Student, Cardiff Business School, said: “The CIWM Lunch and Learn brilliantly highlighted that circularity is no longer just an environmental initiative, but a core commercial strategy.”
“Engaging directly with industry practitioners gave us a practical understanding of how to transition from linear risks to resilient, closed-loop systems. As a student preparing to enter the supply chain sector, learning from the experts driving this sustainable transformation at scale was invaluable.”
Ben Maizeycommented: “One of the biggest challenges facing our sector is attracting and developing the talent needed to deliver a circular economy. Sessions like this give students a chance to see the innovation, purpose and career opportunities that exist within the industry, while allowing us to learn from the fresh perspectives they bring.”