CirCLER: The Revolutionary Project for the Circular Economy in the Furniture Sector
The transition to a Circular Economy is a crucial challenge for the European manufacturing sector, and the furniture industry is no exception. Despite its relevance and growth, companies in the sector face a significant gap: the lack of a specific professional figure, the Circular Economy Transition Manager (CETM), and the necessary training to guide this complex process.
This is where CirCLER comes in, an ambitious European project that aims to bridge this gap by providing the essential skills and tools for a successful circular transition.
A New Professional Profile: The CETM and New Curricula
CirCLER is committed to defining and developing new joint curricula for the CETM, encompassing EQF levels 4, 5, and 6. These innovative training pathways will integrate current shortcomings in terms of “green,” digital, and transversal skills, aligning perfectly with European policies and principles in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education (HE), such as ECTS, EQF, and EQAVET.
An Innovative and Multilingual Training Toolkit
At the heart of CirCLER is the creation of a cutting-edge training toolkit, rich in multimedia and interactive materials and tools. This toolkit will enable VET providers and higher education institutions to train professionals capable of successfully guiding the transition to the circular economy along the entire value chain of the furniture sector.
Designed for maximum accessibility and adaptability, the toolkit will be available in seven EU languages and will target students and workers through customizable training pathways, adaptable to specific skills and knowledge needs (SKCs).
Strategic Partnerships and Broad Reach
CirCLER involves 23 stakeholders from the sector, including full partners and associated partners, each with complementary expertise essential for achieving the project’s objectives and results. This synergy will ensure a holistic approach and widespread dissemination of new skills.
The work-based training toolkit will be tested in a Pilot Course involving 400 learners. Its validation by stakeholders and recognition within and outside the Alliance will be strengthened by the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU).
Impact and Sustainability in the Furniture Sector
CirCLER will also examine the ESCO profiles influenced by the new CETM duties, ensuring that new skills are fully integrated into existing occupational frameworks. The project partners have enormous reach in the sector and will design effective dissemination and exploitation plans to ensure a strong impact and sustainability of the results over time.
CirCLER’s objectives in the furniture sector are ambitious and far-reaching:
- Reach 130,000 employees, unemployed individuals, and students.
- Involve 30,000 companies and 100 associations.
- Collaborate with 2,000 VET/HE institutions and 5,000 of their trainers/professors.
- Engage 65 VET regulatory bodies and other governmental organizations.
Overall, CirCLER will improve national and European VET systems, support the identification and satisfaction of SKC needs, and, with the involvement of key stakeholders, make the furniture sector more resilient, enabling it to achieve its own circular transition.
Discover the other European projects where CSM is a partner:
FLIER
INTERCRAFT
DANTE EDITH
AEC – Architecture Engineering Construction
RE-CENTRE
INTRIDE
FACET
OD&M
IN4WOOD
TEMPUS