Circular Skills
Scotland's shift to a more circular economy, including having a more circular mindset and the skills to go along with it, can be very beneficial for businesses and organisations.
Circular skills enable businesses to innovate, unlock new revenue streams, and meet growing sustainability demands.
In summary
Circular skills help businesses innovate, create new opportunities and respond to growing sustainability demands. This page explains why circular skills matter and highlights resources, training and support to help organisations build these capabilities.
What this means for you
Developing circular skills can help your organisation improve competitiveness, identify new sources of value and strengthen its sustainability credentials.
What to do next
- Explore the skills needed to support circular ways of working.
- Access resources and training to build knowledge and capability.
- Identify opportunities to develop circular skills across your organisation.
Why circular skills are important
Businesses and organisations implementing circular skills may gain greater market opportunities through innovation, by differentiating themselves from their competitors. Businesses could find they are able to create new revenue streams by making the most of their resources, for example, by collaborating with others who may find that ‘waste’ has another valuable use.
Sustainability reporting has become and continues to be increasingly more important for funding applications and gaining other investment, meaning having these sorts of skills available, either in-house or externally, is vital for businesses and organisations.
By embedding more circular skills, businesses may also find greater customer retention from audiences who are more environmentally conscious, which can improve the reputation of an organisation overall.
Skills for a circular economy
Circular jobs are not limited to those who are technically skilled in an area. Meta skills, otherwise known as soft skills, are equally as important to the workforce. Being able to problem solve, communicate and collaborate with others plays a key role in any circular sector or job. Explore the definitions of skills for a circular economy below:
Support from external organisations
The organisations below provide training, courses and sector insights that can help build skills and confidence in circular practices:
Skills Development Scotland
Skills Development Scotland offers support to businesses across Scotland with tools, advice and information to help you identify and manage skills needs across your business.
Sectoral Skills Assessments
The Sectoral Skills Assessments, produced by Skills Development Scotland, provide a high-level evidence base to inform future investment, built from existing datasets and forecasts.
Circular Economy Foundation Course
Circular Asia's Circular Economy Foundation Course provides learners with all they need to know to embrace the circular economy.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Education and Learning
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Education and Learning offers a range of courses, resources and a learning community to support circular economy education.
