Enhancing circular skills and jobs through human resources management training Erasmus Project

Project Title

Enhancing circular skills and jobs through human resources management training

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

In December 2015, the European Commission adopted an action plan to accelerate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy, boost global competitiveness and promote sustainable economic growth and create new jobs. 54 measures were adopted to “close the loop” in the product life cycle, from production and consumption to waste management and the raw materials market. In 2019, The review of the action plan has led to the creation of new jobs, particularly in the sectors of the circular economy (reuse and recycling) which employed 4 million workers in 2016, an increase of 6% compared to 2012. The Commission also points out that much remains to be done to intensify action at EU level in order to fully close the loop and ensure the competitive advantage it brings to European companies. Some areas of business action are not covered by the Action Plan and could be further explored to complement the EU’s Circular Agenda. Indeed, when we talk about the circular economy we are referring to the notions of natural capital (better management of resources/ reduction in their use), physical or technical capital (processing, production, recycling); but not much to the concept of human capital. However, the transition to a circular economy will not be complete if the human dimension is forgotten. A new approach to human resources management must be adopted so that the circular economy can also respond to the social problems that the linear economy produces (unemployment, skills mismatch, stress and depression in the workplace, work of ageing populations, etc.).

What does this transition mean for the human resources (HR) sector?
In a circular economy, workers need to develop a long-term and interdisciplinary thinking. Creativity, consciousness and proactivity will be essential for the HR of the future. The development of the HR according to circular economy principles is an important precondition for a sustainable and competitive economy. A circular human resources management (HRM) can plan a durable and sustainable design and maintenance of skills in the firm in contrast with the current linear model of hiring, maintaining, overloading and dismissing. If a circular HRM means limiting the leakages of talent and skills and regenerating the human capital, new business models and HRM practices are needed. Circular HRM at supporting the transition of European SMEs of the eco industry sector from a traditional, linear HRM model, to a circular HRM model that enhances the regeneration of skills and competences at workplace and favours circular and sustainable businesses and organisational models.
The project activities are:
Highlighting Circularity into companies
Training course and trainer guide development
e-training and knowledge-sharing platform development
Piloting of the on-the-job and online training courses
The results will be:
A Circular Roadmap for firms
An advocacy Paper
A European Qualification Framework for HR managers of the eco industries
Two training programmes
A trainers’ guide
An e-learning and knowledge sharing platform
Piloting of the on-the-job and online training courses.

EU businesses and firms will be supported in readapting their HRM practices to a circular model and avoid the underutilisation of skills, thus enhancing their competitive advantage. Each partner will involve 20 adult learners in the piloting (IO4), thus 160 trainees (among HR managers, employers and employees of the eco sectors) will be trained to perform more circular jobs. Involving the workers directly in the process will create a collaborative environment which will foster commitment and organisational trust, two ingredients that will increase the firms’ retention strategy and the success of the project. Circular HRM will develop an open online training course from a participatory development methodology, involving HRM consultants, HEI representatives, researchers, VET trainers and business innovation experts. The curriculum will contain a set of learning objectives and outcomes, contents, evaluation methods. The e-training course will be supported by a learning management system, enabling learners to flexibly and freely access high quality contents and learning methodologies. The dissemination of the project results will be addressed to VET providers, businesses associations, trade unions and firms, policy makers and interested organisations in order for Circular HRM to become a mainstream element of competitiveness in training supply and enterprise policies. he open license of the course and its fully online format will enable external VET centres and enterprises to integrate the course in their services for free.
Circular HRM is an innovative project that addresses skill mismatches from an alternative approach to traditional linear HRM. The team of experts is deeply convinced about the added value of a European cooperation committed to facilitate a circular shift in eco comapnies.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 310676,94 Eur

Project Coordinator

POUR LA SOLIDARITE ASBL & Country: BE

Project Partners

• SGS TECNOS SA
• ARIS FORMAZIONE E RICERCA SOCIETA COOPERATIVA
• Center for Knowledge Management
• VIESOJI ISTAIGA KAUNO MOKSLO IR TECHNOLOGIJU PARKAS
• FUNDACION EQUIPO HUMANO
• NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAY
• People Management Network