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Partnership in Focus n.18: CAPACITY BUILDING IN HIGHER EDUCATION II – A European Strategy for Universities

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The higher education sector is key for finding solutions towards a sustainable and more digital Europe, as well as for equipping students (and professors) with the competences that our fast-changing society and economy need. In May 2021 the Council of the EU adopted conclusions on the European Universities initiative with “the aim of bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education.” European Universities transnational alliances will become the universities of the future, promoting European values and identity, and revolutionising the quality and competitiveness of European higher education, in an optic of international cooperation, peer-learning and exchange of best practices between European higher education institutions and those from non-EU priority regions and countries.

The Skillman International Forum 2021 took place from 15-18 November 2021 and aimed to redefine the future of learning in the advanced manufacturing sector. On 17 November the AER held an online mutual-learning webinar on ‘CAPACITY BUILDING IN HIGHER EDUCATION II – A European Strategy for Universities.’  This year the forum addressed three main topics: Digital and green revolution, Micro-credentials and Sharing is caring. 

The question posed in relation to this webinar was: How can the EU further support the higher education sector to contribute to the twin digital and green transitions?

Defining Capacity Building for Higher Education

Johanna Pacevicius, AER Coordinator for Policy and Knowledge Sharing, and moderator of the webinar, together with Anna Comacchio, AER Project and Policy Officer, introduced the topic of capacity building in higher education together with the speakers that were present.

The webinar looked at digital capacity building opportunities, ensuring it is reinforced and made more resilient, especially considering the impact COVID-19 had on learning. Next to the digital aspect, green and sustainable capacity building solutions for higher education were also discussed, to explore how the EU can further support the higher education sector to contribute to the twin digital and green transitions.

The idea of Capacity Building in Higher Education (HE) was to be in continuity with the Erasmus 2014-2020 calls (KA 1, 2, 3) where capacity-building projects in the higher education field are aimed at supporting modernization, accessibility, and internationalization in HE structures in Europe. But with the new programme 2021-2027, the topic has been removed. Therefore, from this year on, universities find a more general place for capacity building in COVEs, the Alliances and the European University Initiative. 

On 25 November 2021, the Commission launched the calls for proposals under the Erasmus+ call for 2022, following the adoption of the 2022 annual work programme. With an increased budget of nearly €3.9 billion for the next year, Erasmus+ will continue to provide opportunities for study periods abroad, traineeships, apprenticeships, and staff exchanges and cross border cooperation projects in different areas of education and training, youth and sport. In addition to the general call, the annual work programme also includes other actions to be launched separately, such as indeed the European Universities initiative.

The webinar counted on three professional speakers in the field of higher education. The discussion was opened by a presentation by our first speaker; Armando Pires, president of EURASHE. EURASHE represents universities of applied sciences and university colleges and aims to strengthen the impact of innovative high quality professional higher education and related user-oriented research in Europe. They do this by representing professional higher education institutions and facilitating their multi-stakeholder cooperation and dialogue. Mr Pires underlined that in a changing world, it is vital “to connect research and innovation” in HE, and stressed the need to “address local needs through regional engagement”.  In the field of capacity building, the role of HE is to support the development of a European approach to micro-credentials. Building capacity in HE goes indeed hand-in-hand with building capacity in Innovation and Research, explains Mr Pires. The HE sector has been proving its capacity to adapt to the new reality brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. We witnessed the role played by digital tools in ensuring learning development, not only in HE. “Considering the impact of Covid on economy and society, we must join forces and connect institutions, and research at the local, regional level. “

The discussion was continued by Anouk Tso, from the University of Amsterdam, and project officer for EPICUR, Work Package Leader: Multilingualism & Inclusive Governance, and Dr. Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos, Assoc. Prof Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, EPICUR, WP4 Leader.  

EPICUR, the European University Alliance, belongs to the first generation of European Alliances to pilot a new way of intensifying collaboration among Higher Education institutions through the creation of a European University. Their presentation addressed the “Flipped Mobility Concept and its support by the digital EPICUR Inter-University Campus”, 

Ms Tso began by explaining the four reasons behind the implementation of the flipped mobility programme by EPICUR, to enrich the learning experience for students, for teaching staff to make teaching exciting and European, for researchers to share knowledge and give them bridging opportunities, and to boost viability to refresh study programmes. Mr Tsiatsos continued by explaining the flipped mobility concept and with it its difference from traditional mobility, in the sense that it brings the resources to the students and the staff instead of the other way around, which gives the users greater accessibility. The flipped mobility scheme introduced by EPICUR is completely paperless, and thus contributes to the green transition, as well as, of course, the digital transformation. Above all, EPICUR encourages students, teachers, researchers and staff to cross borders, geographically, culturally and academically.

Open and Future EU funding opportunities and initiatives

Skillman.eu is a worldwide community of practitioners, researchers, and institutions engaged in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). It’s a network that aims at creating work-based learning solutions to respond to the challenges of skills shortages in industry with a participatory model and a peer learning approach. The network develops tools consistent with industry needs and relevant to the latest education challenges introduced also by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

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Building the Circular Economy through Circular Skills: Regions and Universities leading the Change

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The transition towards a circular economy is among the core objectives of policy-makers at all levels of government. Yet, its full and effective achievement strongly depends on the readiness of all the societal and economic actors. In this regard, a growing mismatch between skills and labour needs can hamper both the transition as well as the possibility to exploit its great potential for employment and social inclusion. To counter this trend and facilitate the adoption of effective models by regions and vocational educational and training (VET) organisation, AER launched a dedicated webinar within the 2020 edition of the Skillman International Forum.  

During the first day of the Skillman International Forum (10-11 December 2020), AER held the webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market’. The session gathered around 30 regional policy makers and international experts working in the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system with the aim of sharing knowledge and concrete examples of how regional authorities and educational institutions are assessing and building the professional skills needed in a circular economy.

The event counted upon an international panel of experts in the field as Eva Hallström, the Regional Councillor of the Region Värmland (SE) and Chair of AER Working Group on Environment and Climate change. Mrs Hallström opened the discussion providing insights on the importance of achieving a full circular economy transition and the work that international organisations and institutions – including AER, the EU, and the UN – are doing to this aim. Inspiring examples of how the Värmland region is moving towards an inclusive circular economy were also shared. Värmland is at the forefront when it comes to the green transition through an established system of schools and a dominating university that prepares youngsters to work in a circular bio-based economy, an innovation park, and the recognition of “paper region” due to its long experience with the employment of sustainable materials as paper in the replacement of plastic and over 100 dedicated companies.

Additionally, Belén Gracia, PhD Area Coordinator at Campus Iberius (ES) and Coordinator of the Eramus+ Project PackAlliance, explained how the PackAlliance project is tackling the skills shortage in the circular packaging industry seeking to align academic curricula with industry’s needs, develop a post-graduate programme tailored to this emerging value chain, and extend the model for replication in other contexts. The project is based on open innovation and co-creation approaches that empower the main actors affected by the circular skills transition, as well as on transnational cooperation with higher educational institutions and private companies based in several EU member states. Students and SMEs cooperate in detecting the professional skills shortage in the circular packaging industry, and – through the support of educational institutions – in designing a new post-graduate programme focused on the needed competences.

Lastly, Øyvind Nordstrand, Advisor at the Inland County Council (NO), presented the regional and national efforts to strengthen the bioeconomy in the region and build upon its potential. According to a report published by SINTEF in 2018, 25.000 new jobs related to bioeconomy can be created in the region by 2050. To ensure that SMEs and workers in rural areas in the region are able to meet the future with the necessary competences, the region has launched the Competency Pilot project financed jointly by the County and the Ministry of Local Governments and Modernisation as part of a broader national initiative. Specifically, the project focuses on addressing the competency needs in the forest industry – being Inland the largest wood region in Norway – by applying the competency broker model, and connecting national and regional governments, local businesses, academia and education institutions, and the civil society. Competency brokers visit and liaise with local SMEs to map their needs in terms of skills, and on the basis of the results, the region develops a training programme that can be customised to the specific needs of the SME. At the same time, the project will provide the region with a more general framework that can be applied for other sectors and replicated by other regions.      

The examples and discussions held within the webinar emphasised the importance of directly engaging with local business to understand what skills are needed for a circular economy and to jointly develop educational or training programmes that can meet the needs of the future. At the same time, collaboration among regions and VET organisation across Europe and beyond becomes crucial for designing a model that can be broadly applied and declined to different societal contexts and economic sectors.

To know more, download the webinar’s presentations and engage in the discussions through the Peer Learning Clubs!

Open and Future EU funding opportunities and initiatives:

Photo from Unsplash @resul

This webinar was organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships. To this aim, after each webinar a bulletin with open and upcoming EU opportunities is circulated among relevant stakeholders.

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New mobility services: qualification profiles and skill needs

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On 11 December as part of the 2020 Skillman International Forum, the Assembly of European Regions hosted the webinar “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles“. This webinar brought together experts working in the new mobility sector, who exchanged perspectives and examples of how emerging skill needs and professional profiles are being integrated into this growing sector by regions and private stakeholders.

The event was part of the series of webinars on EU funding opportunities organised by AER within the Erasmus+ project Skillnet. These webinars bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) and aim to build partnerships for future EU project proposals. 

Transformation of mobility services and the need to embrace the change

New mobility services offer potential solutions to a wide range of growing challenges like congestion, lack of space, rising populations, air quality, noise pollution, social inclusion, health, economic development, and job creation. However, the sector must be fully prepared if we are to make the most of these opportunities. Edwin Mermans, Senior advisor at the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure of the Noord-Brabant Process (NL) and process manager of New Mobility Services, highlighted that there is a growing skills shortage in the mobility services sector which could seriously delay the development of the services and hurt customers’ expectations. To bridge this gap, it is vital to understand what skills the future workforce will need, and retrain workers so they can make the best of this emerging labour market.

Regional perspectives on re-skilling for new mobility services

Two examples from regions were presented during the webinar, which shed light on how regions are tackling the skills shortage within new mobility services.

Ms Federica Rossetti, Innovation Manager at Innovazione Automative e Metalmeccanica based in the Abruzzo region (IT), presented the Erasmus+ project ‘A.U.T.O 4‘. This project focused on meeting the skill needs within manufacturing companies in the area of smart technologies by developing tailored training and education programmes; supporting the transition towards new mobility services.

A.U.T.O 4 brought together partners from four countries (Italy, Spain, German, and the UK) who worked together in the identification of “qualification profiles” and/or “occupational profiles” for the workforce in the automobile production. Using a mutually developed methodology, they identified newly required skills that have been analysed to define existing job profiles to adapt, as well as new job profiles to be boosted. As a result of the analysis, a new job profile, “Automotive Digital Mechatronic X.0.”, has been identified at the European level.

As explained by Carlo Poledrini, Director at the Arst (Sardinian Regional Transport Entity), new mobility services also offer solutions for the creation of new jobs. Mr Poledrini provided a detailed overview of the how the transport sector has evolved in the Sardinian region, the new skills demanded by the sector, and how the region is assessing these needs. He underlined that a greater emphasis on soft skills, digital skills, and enhanced specific managerial competences are fundamental and urgent for the development of the sector. Actions must be supported with innovative and up-to-date education and training schemes, as well as the establishment of specific career paths from secondary school onwards (as for the electrical transition of buses and rolling stocks).

Both speakers concluded that the mismatch between the current skills and the new mobility services sector’s needs can only be tackled through joint action, and underlined the importance of EU funding opportunities in bridging this gap.

Currently open EU funded opportunities and activities:

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Defining the new skills for an inclusive future at the Skillman International Forum 2020

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As a proud partner of the Skillnet project, AER is very pleased to provide an overview of the very first virtual 6th edition of the yearly SIF – SKILLMAN.EU INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2020, about redefining the future of learning, which took place on December 10th and 11th 2020. Practitioners, innovative academics, and industrial experts in the field of  Vocational Education and Training joined forces to promote an approach to curricula design based on skills foresight analysis.

This year the Forum adopted a holistic approach to face the new challenges risen during the pandemic in the context of skills and job opportunities. The underlying theme of the event was the importance of assessing and therefore providing key skills that people have to possess, especially in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, to actively participate in the society of tomorrow.

Let the curtain open!

The Skillman International Forum kicked off with the welcoming statements from Giovanni Crisonà, founder of the Skillman.eu consortium. The participants had the opportunity to hear that the skills mismatch between demands and labour offer, as well as the consequences of the pandemic, can be resolved by rebranding the Vocational Education and Training systems (VET). In this regard, it is instrumental to look at this shift of paradigm internationally by setting cross-sectoral collaborations and integrating the IT tools in any field of training.

Morning session

The morning session was the perfect venue to hear about the challenges for VET systems for the uptake of skills that can aid in the twin ambitions of the green and digital transition. In this context, providing a real on-the-job experience that makes it easier to acquire both hard and soft skills is instrumental, as well as strengthening collaborations between the public and private sector. Additionally, the pandemic is providing an opportunity to rethink how digital learning can be best integrated into VET curricula, by developing digital labs and web applications able to ensure that no one is left behind.

Afternoon session

During this session, participants had the opportunity to choose the pavilions according to their topic of interest: The IVETA pavilion addressed the issues that TVET stakeholders need to consider with regard to accessibility and inclusivity, from the work-life balance and wellbeing to the shift to the digital learning platforms. The EAPRIL pavilion focused on describing Skillman’s self-assessment tool for VET excellence, which detects labour market needs to foresight skills. The AER pavilion highlighted how VET programmes can support the transition towards a circular economy by boosting new skills in the population

The first day of the SIF 2020 ended up by expressing the instrumentality of virtual mobility in providing valuable opportunities both to participants and entrepreneurs, and the exchange of best practices from all around the world.

Second round!

Morning session

On the occasion of the second day of the event, participants turned the attention to the skills needed to master the challenges of the labour market of the 21st century. The impact of the pandemic has dramatically accelerated the need for VET systems to re-engineer certain parts to make them more responsive to changing labour market needs, and flexible to provide training to a broad audience, including adults in need of re-skilling.

Participants in the late morning had the possibility to attend different pavilions, among which the AER for those interested in the skills needed for the New Mobility Services sector, and break-out rooms listening to best practices, new assessments, curricula design and digital learning tools, such as SELFIE tool for digital-age learning in VET schools and companies, presented at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre break-out room.

Afternoon session

The final session of the event showed the importance of integrating training and engagement by using innovative technology learning devices. In this regard, the development of high-technological tools and applications play a key role in reproducing work and learning experiences while entertaining users, a key asset in increasing the interest in VET centres.

Participants promoted the “action-driven” model of vocational education centres where expertise and good practices are transferred also at the regional level creating synergies and collaborations, through a sustainable and multistakeholder approach. Eventually, the event presented the result of the discussions of the Peer Learning Clubs, the four groups of discussion which we are glad to invite you to join to shape the future of Vocational Education and Training centres, allowing exchange and empowerment via online and on-site activities.

Wrap-up!

The Skillman International Forum 2020 provided food for thought of possible initiatives to re-engineer the VET systems by changing the pedagogical approach, innovating the teaching method facilitating the all learning process with the right digital support, and last but not least by increasing the motivation and excitement of people to enact the right change. Building on discussions of the sessions and the overall findings, this is just another step to explore the pathways of VET may develop to address the future challenges that also the pandemic has posed. The transition should go beyond digital transformation and focusing also on the new models of work-based and community-based approaches that boost inclusive and lifelong learning.

Partnership in Focus

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New mobility services: Anticipating Skills and Job Roles

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We are pleased to invite you to the webinar “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles” that aims to bridge the gap between the skills and job roles needed for the new mobility services sector and the workforce.

New mobility services are offering solutions to today’s growing challenges in terms of congestion, lack of space, growing population, air quality, noise, social inclusion, health, economic development, and the creation of jobs. These solutions require skilled and adaptable individuals who are able to drive and support change. However, there is a growing skills shortage in the mobility services sector which could seriously delay the development of the services and hurt customers’ expectations. Thus it is required to look into new skills for the future workforce but also opportunities realized through reskilling the workforce. 

About the webinar

The event will be held within the sixth edition of the Skillman International Forum focused on ‘Redefining the Future of Learning in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector’. Additionally, it is part of the Skillnet series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.

The webinar will highlight regional examples on the integration of new mobility services and the development of skills and job roles needed in the sector. In this context, it aims to:

  • Highlight the relevance of EU funding opportunities and European cooperation in bridging the skills’ gap in the new mobility services sector
  • Share good practices about how regions and local companies can foster the relevant skills in the population
  • Boost a network of cross-sectoral experts interested in the new mobility services that can be applied for future EU funding opportunities.

How to join the webinar?

Only one registration is given for all the events within the Skillman International Forum (SIF). Hence, to join the event, you have to register to Skillman International Forum and participants will be re-directed from the plenary (main room) to the various sessions in the course the event through break-out rooms.

If you cannot attend the whole SIF, you may access the event at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the webinar “Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market” (starting time 15:30) so that you can be re-directed to the session.

 

REGISTER HERE

 

This webinar is organised in the context of SKILLNET, an EU-funded project which aims to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market

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We are pleased to invite you to the webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market‘ aimed to share information about how Vocational and Education Training (VET) programmes can support the transition towards a circular economy and exploits its potential for employment and social inclusion. 

The circular economy is among the core policy priorities of regional, national, and international policy-makers being a major tool to counter negative environmental trends while offering new opportunities for employment and social inclusion. The core pillars of the circular economy – reuse, repair, remanufactured, and recycling – imply a more labour intensive process than the linear economy where resources are wasted or lost. This results in an unparalleled potential for the promotion of employment, with the expected creation of approximately 700 000 new jobs linked to the circular economy (the so-called circular jobs) by 2030 in the EU (Cambridge Econometrics, Trinomics and ICF, 2018).  

At the same time, the transition is a broad process involving an overarching redefinition of the economy as a whole, as well as requiring the readiness of all economic and sectors in order to be fully realised. To this extent, this year, the European Union has adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan for the achievement of a “cleaner and more competitive Europe in co-creation with economic actors, consumers, citizens, and civil society organisations”. As suggested in the document, the labour market plays a fundamental role in this process in that if able to anticipate and prepare for the transition, it can accelerate and maximise the potential of a circular economy. Hence, both the realisation of a circular economy and the effective uptake of its employment opportunities strongly depend on the readiness of the labour market.  

About the webinar

The event will be held within the sixth edition of the Skillman International Forum focused on ‘Redefining the Future of Learning in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector’. Additionally, it is part of the Skillnet series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.  

It will offer regions and stakeholders engaged with the circular economy the opportunity to learn and exchange about how regions, companies, and VET organisations can support the transition towards a circular economy and exploit its employment potential by fostering the needed skills in the workforce.   

In this context, the webinar aims to: 

  • Provide information about what are the skills needed in a circular economy with particular regard to the advanced manufacturing sector.
  • Offer the possibility to learn from, and exchange with, experts about how VET can support the circular economy transition by developing new curricula tailored to skill and upskill the ‘circular workforce‘.
  • Create a space for debate and network for experts in the field in order to establish relevant partnerships that can be applied within future EU funding opportunities.

How to join the webinar?

Only one registration is given for all the events within the Skillman International Forum (SIF). Hence, to join the event, you have to register to Skillman International Forum and participants will be re-directed from the plenary (main room) to the various sessions in the course the event through break-out rooms.  

If you cannot attend the whole SIF, you may access the event at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the webinar “Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market” (starting time 15:30) so that you can be re-directed to the session.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar is organised in the context of SKILLNET, an EU-funded project which aims to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

Join the webinar on “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles”

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The Assembly of European Regions is glad to contribute to Skillman International Forum by hosting the webinar “New mobility services: Anticipating skills and job roles”, organised within the Skillnet project co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme. The webinar will take place online on the 11th of December, 11:15 – 12:15 CET. 

The event is part of the Skillnet series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET), with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.

The webinar will highlight regional examples on the integration of new mobility services and the development of skills and job roles needed in the sector. 

New mobility services are offering solutions to today’s growing challenges in terms of congestion, lack of space, growing population, air quality, noise, social inclusion, health, economic development, and the creation of jobs. These solutions require skilled and adaptable individuals who are able to drive and support change. However, there is a growing skills shortage in the mobility services sector which could seriously delay the development of the services and hurt customers’ expectations. 

Thus it is required to look into new skills for the future workforce but also opportunities realized through reskilling the workforce. In that context, the webinar aims to bridge the gap between the skills and job roles needed for the new mobility services sector and the workforce.  

To this end, the event aims to:

  • Highlight the relevance of EU funding opportunities and European cooperation in bridging the skills’ gap in the new mobility services sector 
  • Share good practices about how regions and local companies can foster the relevant skills in the population
  • Boost a network of cross-sectoral experts interested in the new mobility services that can be applied for future EU funding opportunities.

Important: How to join the webinar?

Only one registration is given for all the events within the Skillman International Forum (SIF). Hence, to join the event, you have to register to Skillman International Forum and participants will be re-directed from the plenary (main room) to the various sessions in the course the event through break-out rooms.

If you cannot attend the whole SIF, you may access the event at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the webinar “New Mobility Services: Anticipating Skills and Job Roles” (starting time: 11:15 am) so that you can be re-directed to the session.

After registration, you will receive the email with the list of separate sessions among which you have to choose 23 AER – PAVILLION d2.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinar on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

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Join the Webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market’

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Save the date! We are pleased to invite you to the webinar ‘Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market’ that will be held online on 10th December from 15:30 to 16:30 as part of the 2020 edition of the Skillman International Forum focused on “redefining the future of learning in the advanced manufacturing sector”!

The event is part of the Skillnet series of 18 webinars designed to bring together experts in different fields linked to vocational education and training (VET) with the purpose of establishing relevant groups of collaboration and partnerships for future EU project proposals.

It will offer regions and stakeholders engaged with circular economy the opportunity to learn and exchange about how regions, companies, and VET organisations can support the transition towards a circular economy and exploit its employment potential by fostering the needed skills in the workforce.

The circular economy is among the core policy priorities of regional, national, and international policy-makers being a major tool to counter negative environmental trends while offering new opportunities for employment and social inclusion. The core pillars of the circular economy – reuse, repair, remanufactured, and recycling – imply a more labour intensive process than the linear economy where resources are wasted or lost. This results in an unparalleled potential for the promotion of employment, with the expected creation of approximately 700 000 new jobs linked to the circular economy (the so-called circular jobs) by 2030 in the EU (Cambridge Econometrics, Trinomics and ICF, 2018).

At the same time, the transition is a broad process involving an overarching redefinition of the economy as a whole, as well as requiring the readiness of all economic and sectors in order to be fully realised. To this extent, this year, the European Union has adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan for the achievement of a “cleaner and more competitive Europe in co-creation with economic actors, consumers, citizens, and civil society organisations”. As suggested in the document, the labour market plays a fundamental role in this process in that if able to anticipate and prepare for the transition, it can accelerate and maximise the potential of a circular economy. Hence, both the realisation of a circular economy and the effective uptake of its employment opportunities strongly depend on the readiness of the labour market.

In this context, the webinar aims to:

  • Provide information about what are the skills needed in a circular economy with particular regard to the advanced manufacturing sector.
  • Offer the possibility to learn from, and exchange with, experts about how VET can support the circular economy transition by developing new curricula tailored to skill and upskill the ‘circular workforce‘.
  • Create a space for debate and network for experts in the field in order to establish relevant partnerships that can be applied within future EU funding opportunities.

Agenda of the webinar

  • Introduction to the webinar and opening remarks: Eva Hallström, Regional Councillor of the Region Värmland and Chair of the Working Group on Environment and Climate change
  • Assessing the skills shortage of the circular economy: Findings from the PackAlliance project. Belén Gracia, PhD Area Coordinator at Campus Iberius and Coordinator of the Erasmus + Project PackAlliance
  • Competency Pilot: Addressing the competency needs of tomorrow: Øyvind Nordstrand, Advisor Innlandet County Council

Important: How to join the webinar?

Only one registration is given for all the events within the Skillman International Forum (SIF). Hence, to join the event, you have to register to Skillman International Forum and participants will be re-directed from the plenary (main room) to the various sessions in the course the event through break-out rooms.

After registration, you will receive the email with the list of separate sessions among which you have to choose 10 AER – PAVILLION d1.

If you cannot attend the whole SIF, you may access the event at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the webinar “Circular Economy: Opportunities and Needs in the Labour Market” (starting time 15:30) so that you can be re-directed to the session.

REGISTER HERE

This webinar is organised as part of the SKILLNET series of webinars on EU funding opportunities. SKILLNET is a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission aiming to strengthen the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system’s role and capacity to design high-quality VET programmes tailored to current societal needs through enhanced transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships.

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