Skills and competencies for a Circular Human Resources Management in the Foundry sector Erasmus Project

Project Title

Skills and competencies for a Circular Human Resources Management in the Foundry sector

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Energy and resources; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

Produce, use and throw away. This is the traditional model of the lineal economy and that the circular economy wants to replace with a model in which natural and technical resources are reused as long as possible. In December 2015, the European Commission adopted an action plan to accelerate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy.

According to the report “Closing the loop: New circular economy Package” (2016) of the European Union, the new paradigm of Circular Economy could increase European GDP up to 7 % in 2030. The sustainable economy would also affect in the competitiveness and innovation of companies (reducing spending on net resources in Europe by 800 million euro per year), economic growth and the generation of new jobs. Currently, the foundry sector is transitioning to the circular economy as a result of the recent regulation of the European Union that establishes the following recycling targets: 65% of municipal waste, Ferrous metals: 80 % and Aluminum: 60 % by 2035.

Nevertheless, the transition to a circular economy not only faces challenges such as financing and key economic enablers but also new skills and competences which are currently not present in the workforce. For this reason, the transition to a circular economy needs a new approach to human resources management.

The CHROMAFOR project aims at supporting the transition of European foundries, from a lineal and traditional human resources management model to a circular human resources management model, which will improve the regeneration of skills and competencies in the working place and favors a circular and sustainable economy of both for the company and the workers, and their organizational models.

The main expected results are: the Professional Profile of the HR managers for the circular foundries and a multimedia training platform to develop skills and competences to support them to become adequately skilled, innovative players able to create sustainable jobs and opportunities within the foundries, and favor the foundries the transit forward to circular economy. A short description of the expected outcomes:
• Professional profile description for a Circular human resources management in the foundry sector. To identify the LO required by the HR managers of the circular foundries at EU level in terms of Knowledge, skills and Competences according to ECVET principles. A desk research and field research (interviews with min 10 HR managers of the sector and 3 interviews with experts/trainers in circular economy training) will be carried out.
• Digital histories of current circular economy best practices in the foundry HR management. By using real situations of circular foundries these case studies will provide easy understandable, very practical and well organized structure of the components of the HH.RR. Managers and clear picture on what set of skills are important and needed to be improved to ensure the success and sustainability of their jobs. 2 business practices will be identified per country: filming, video and sound editing, digital processing, animation, developing/editing of language versions, exporting into different multimedia formats.
• CHROMAFOR Curriculum and Training modules for a “Circular human resources management in foundries”. The curriculum will consist of a detailed modular training programme developed for the identified specific learning needs of the target group. The training modules will include a set of theoretical contents and practical activities for the acquisition of the learning outcomes in order to meet the specific training needs.
• CHROMAFOR Virtual Learning Environment. To develop an educational e-learning and knowledge sharing platform based upon collaborative learning approaches and test a training course with 10/15 HR managers of foundries / VET trainers in all partner countries.

Expected impact on the main target group:
– European Foundries HH.RR. Managers will have the required professional profile which will enhance the circular economy in foundries and will provide the same circular competences, so the mobility of workers within Europe will be fostered, the access to the labour market of unemployed people will increase and the competences of the workers will be improved.
– Foundries will have a new approach to human resources management to support them in the transition from a lineal and traditional human resources management model to a circular human resources management model. CHROMAFOR VLE will support and accelerate the EU’s foundry transition to a sustainable model of inclusive growth.
– Education and training providers (VET centers and Universities) will update the curricula and will have resources to face the new skills and competences required by the circular foundries.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 214495 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACION DE FUNDIDORES DEL PAIS VASCO Y NAVARRA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Inthecity Project Development
• ISTANBUL TEKNIK UNIVERSITESI
• UNIVERSITA TELEMATICA INTERNAZIONALE-UNINETTUNO
• Turkish Foundry Association
• FONDO FORMACION EUSKADI SLL
• AGENZIA METROPOLITANA PER LA FORMAZIONE, L’ORIENTAMENTO E IL LAVORO