As cities and regions across Europe accelerate the shift toward a circular economy (CE), a critical yet often overlooked dimension is coming to the fore: the development of circular skills and the upskilling of the workforce. While infrastructure, regulation, and funding are indispensable, it is ultimately human capital that determines whether CE initiatives succeed or falter. A recent study by Sébastien Bourdin and Nicolas Jacquet (2025), drawing on 47 interviews with CE practitioners across France, sheds light on the systemic challenges and opportunities in advancing circular strategies at the local level. Among its insights, the study highlights the urgent need to invest in circular skills to ensure initiatives are not only launched but also scaled and sustained.
The Human Factor in Circular Economy Implementation
The circular economy marks a fundamental departure from the linear “take-make-dispose” model, emphasizing resource efficiency, reuse, and regeneration. This transformation requires not only new technologies and business models but also an evolution in workforce competencies. From municipal staff and elected representatives to SMEs and civil society actors, stakeholders must acquire new knowledge, adapt to changing roles, and collaborate across sectors.
Bourdin and Jacquet’s research shows that many local authorities face internal capacity deficits. Elected officials frequently lack the technical expertise to champion CE policies, while municipal staff are often restricted to siloed departments with limited cross-functional collaboration. These challenges are further compounded by insufficient training opportunities and a narrow perception of CE—commonly equated with waste management rather than recognized as a comprehensive development strategy.
Defining Circular Skills
Circular skills span a broad range of competencies, including:
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Systems thinking: Understanding links between environmental, economic, and social systems.
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Eco-design and life-cycle analysis: Designing products and services for reuse, repair, and recycling.
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Industrial symbiosis: Facilitating resource exchanges across sectors.
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Data literacy: Collecting and analyzing material flows and impact metrics.
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Stakeholder engagement: Building partnerships across public, private, and civic domains.
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Policy and regulatory expertise: Interpreting and applying CE-related legislation.
These skills extend well beyond technical roles. Political leaders, procurement officers, educators, and community organizers all require tailored training to play an active role in the circular transition.
Upskilling Local Authorities: A Strategic Priority
One of the study’s most striking findings is the heavy reliance of local governments on external consultants to address knowledge gaps. While consultants bring valuable expertise, their recommendations often lack contextual sensitivity and long-term alignment with local realities. This dependency signals a structural failure to build internal capacity and underscores the need for targeted upskilling.
Strengthening the competencies of elected officials and municipal staff is key to fostering vision and leadership. Potential approaches include:
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Establishing cross-departmental CE task forces to overcome silos.
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Creating CE offices staffed with multidisciplinary teams.
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Designing modular training programs tailored to local contexts.
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Using digital platforms to facilitate peer learning and knowledge sharing.
Engaging SMEs and the Social Economy
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are central to the circular transition, yet they often encounter barriers to participation. The study finds that many SMEs lack awareness of CE principles, remain unconvinced of the business case, and struggle with funding access, regulatory complexity, and data management.
Targeted upskilling of SME workforces is therefore essential. Training should emphasize practical applications, such as product redesign, reverse logistics, and circular business models—delivered in ways that are accessible, context-specific, and aligned with SME operations.
Equally, the social and solidarity economy plays a critical role in repair, reuse, and recycling activities. However, these actors frequently lack the administrative capacity to secure funding or comply with procurement rules. Simplifying procedures and providing tailored training can help unlock their contribution to circular ecosystems.
Innovative solutions include:
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Co-creation labs where municipalities and businesses develop circular solutions together.
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Digital matchmaking platforms for industrial symbiosis and resource sharing.
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Gamified training modules that make CE learning engaging and practical.
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Micro-credentialing systems that recognize informal circular competencies.
Education and Community Engagement
Embedding CE principles in education is crucial for long-term cultural change. Schools, universities, and lifelong learning institutions must integrate circular thinking across disciplines—from environmental science and engineering to economics, design, and public administration. Promising approaches include:
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CE hackathons for students and citizens.
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Living labs in schools and universities to test and pilot solutions.
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Community-based learning projects co-designed with residents.
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Digital storytelling platforms to share success stories and lessons learned.
Community engagement is equally vital. Awareness campaigns, workshops, and citizen science initiatives can nurture a culture of circularity and empower residents to participate actively. Yet, as Bourdin and Jacquet note, communication budgets are often the first to be cut, undermining engagement and legitimacy. Investment in communication and education should therefore be viewed as essential, not optional.
Toward a Circular Workforce Strategy
To address the multifaceted challenge of circular skills, a comprehensive workforce strategy is required. Such a strategy should encompass:
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Skills mapping: Identifying existing competencies and gaps.
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Training programs: Offering modular, scalable courses for diverse stakeholder groups.
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Certification schemes: Validating and recognizing circular competencies.
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Funding mechanisms: Backing training with subsidies, PPPs, and green finance tools.
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Monitoring and evaluation: Tracking progress and refining programs.
This approach must be co-created with stakeholders—governments, businesses, education providers, and civil society—and integrated into CE roadmaps aligned with national and EU policies.
Seminar “Engagements Compétences 2025”
As part of its broader regional skills and employment strategy, the Engagements Compétences 2050 seminar in Caen illustrates Normandy’s commitment to preparing its workforce for ecological and digital transitions. With a focus on innovation, experimentation, and forward-looking training, the event convenes stakeholders to design future-oriented education and professional pathways. The 2025 edition, dedicated to ecological transition, highlights the urgency of aligning skills development with sustainability goals.
Conclusion: Investing in People for a Circular Future
The transition to a circular economy is not just a technical or financial challenge—it is fundamentally a human one. Success depends on the ability of individuals and institutions to learn, adapt, and collaborate. Investment in circular skills and workforce upskilling is therefore not optional—it is foundational. As one interviewee put it: “The circular economy is not just about waste—it’s about people, partnerships, and possibilities.”
The article was prepared by an ECIV partner Région Normandie, based on the academic publication 'Closing the loop at the local scale: Investigating the drivers of and barriers to the implementation of the circular economy in cities and regions' by Sébastien Bourdin and Nicolas Jacquet, EM Normandie Business School, Metis Lab Caen, France, 2025.
