News

Partners of the CirCLER project gathered in Brussels on November 12th and 13th, 2024, at EFIC’s premises to advance their efforts in creating training resources tailored to the circular economy (CE) needs of the furniture sector. This Erasmus+ initiative aims to bridge the skills gap and support workers and businesses in adapting to sustainable practices.

In 2023, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) published the Preliminary Study on New Product Priorities, assessing sectors such as furniture under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This study highlights key ways in which the furniture industry can reduce environmental impact through sustainable design and lifecycle management, positioning it as one of the most promising areas for implementing ecodesign principles.

This report presents the findings of deliverable 3.2 of the CirCLER project which examined the European Skills, Competencies and Occupations (ESCO) furniture sector occupations affected by the Circular Economy (CE) transition within the sector. The need stems from the EU furniture sector's response to the Circular Economy and an emerging occupation profile of a Circular Economy Transition Manager (CETM). Skills, Knowledge and Competency (SKCs) skills, gaps and needs of a CETM identified in CirCLER deliverable 3.1 formed the basis for the analysis of the ESCO database. 

Julio Rodrigo, Project Manager of the project and Innovation and Sustainability Manager for AMBIT, summarised the project's aims, objectives and expected results, within the framework of the Final Conference in Lyon of the ALLVIEW project, the first and main COVE project for excellence in vocational training in the furniture sector.