The current crises (including the corona pandemic and climate crisis) are the result of a still prevailing way of economics, focused on too much on quantitative growth and maximizing profits. Following this path continuously, destroys our common natural basis. At the same time, there are enormous opportunities to change production methods and pioneers in almost all branches are already successful. The international framework for this is provided by the Sustainable Development Goals SDG`s and the Paris Climate Change Convention. In the coming years, the EU will promote the transformation of the economic system into a Circular Economy CE as a focal point of its policy. This is urgently needed because the manufacturing and processing industries are running out of raw materials. In addition to this consideration of the finite nature of non-renewable resources, the need to preserve our ecological and social living conditions in the long term is becoming more and more important, too. Young people, social workers and scientists are urgently reminding us of this. At the same time, the European metal industry is confronted with enormous processes of innovation and transformation: Digitization processes create opportunities for automation, work simplification and new job profiles that can also be taken up by women. But this requires further investment, process restructuring and new skills. SMEs are overburdened with the challenges in many EU countries. In addition, they are increasingly lacking skilled workers, as more young people are studying because vocational training is less appreciated, socially. The metal professions and SMEs are particularly affected. The project will support SMEs in metal clusters and their staff to better understand ongoing transformations (e.g. climate crisis), to recognize their impacts and to undertake appropriate adaptation measures. The project will demonstrate CE possibilities, especially with regard to metal working, manufacturing and other processes. In addition, VET teachers and learners are to be involved in the project for the training and further education of specialists. 200 participants will be involved from these target groups. Young people, especially young women, should learn about the new orientation of the metal professions towards sustainability. Starting with an initial group of about 12 young women and men, the aim is to reach about 300 young people. The project activities include three phases: An analysis phase describing existing metal working and manufacturing tasks, processes and competences. Related to the results, the partners define new CE competences that are to be taught using suitable methods and contribute to a convincing and adaptable concept for a future-proof value creation in metal companies. In the last phase the partners develop curricula. The R&D results and best-practice CE-examples that already exist in metal SMEs will be systematically recorded on fact sheets and other learning material. The partners will create and offer a Vocational Open Online Course VOOC and different Living Labs as multiplier events to disseminate the CE-learning content. Moreover, the project partners build up a supportive structure and give an overview about career chances. Various methods are used to achieve the project objectives. Involving the target groups in all work steps is the most important working method. Non-violent communication is used in joint work. The Future Thinking method is used and trained for the imagination of new work processes and goals. For the development of new products in the value chain the Cradle to Cradle design method is introduced and trained. As Living Labs method new event formats are developed and applied in companies. Within the Living Labs, TED ED talks will be used and established. The main results expected from the first phase of the CEMIVET project will be analytical results, including knowledge of work processes, activities and the impact of metal SME activities on the environment and climate. These results will form the basis for all further project activities and external communication in the sector. The descriptions of the CE competences needed in different target groups as well as the identified potential of CE adjustments in metal SMEs will be used to activate the external participants. These form essential elements of the long-term communication needed in the metal clusters. The developed and with about 200 participants tested teaching/learning settings and materials can be further used and disseminated for VET in metal occupations. The formats and information developed by young participants on the tasks and career opportunities in metal professions can and should also reach young women in particular in the long term. All results and findings shall be publicly available and published in peer-reviewed journals. CEMIVET establishes support structures for SMEs staff.
With the implementation of the CEMIVET project, we wanted to achieve that the target groups in the metal SMEs acquire competences in the circular economy and activate them to disseminate their experiences in their networks. They should recognise the connections between sector activities and the impact on climate and biodiversity etc., have arguments, communication tools and methods to implement this in decisions together with others in a targeted way. The joint project work should strengthen the SME network and create a basis of trust for new considerations. The project experiences wanted to create awareness among the individuals for further aspects of environmental and climate protection, to strengthen and reorient their competences in this respect. This should increase the innovative power of the participating companies, accelerate the introduction of new, circular production processes and thus increase competitiveness. Using best-practice examples in SMEs, the young generation was to learn which process changes are necessary and what this means for welders, for example. The partners wanted to show that the principles of the circular economy are a promising basis for sustainable development of metal SMEs in the EU.
We applied for this project because we wanted to address changes such as climate change and limited resources as challenges and opportunities for SMEs in the EU. We saw the increasing numbers of pupils and decreasing numbers of apprentices, especially in the metal trades, as a problematic indicator. Keeping up with technological innovations and investing is not easy for SMEs.Moreover,employees need to acquire new skills and competences. In SMEs,they often do not have the time.We have considered that it is an urgent need of SMEs to make metal professions attractive for women, because many talented young people are increasingly migrating to the metropolises. SMEs lack skilled workers and successors, especially in rural areas. The quality of life there is suffering and demographic change is accelerating.The above-mentioned challenges affect each other simultaneously, but can also be tackled together. We wanted to show how the reduction of CO² emissions in production and along the entire value chain can be achieved, e.g. through CE changes as accompanied by the Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan.The project aimed to support metal SMEs in understanding the changes,recognising their impact and making appropriate adjustments