Unlocking Green Skills At Scale: What Will It Take? – Circular Economy UK Write Up

The shift to a circular economy is not just a technological or political challenge, it is a people challenge. At the Circular Economy UK Conference 2026, the Skills Zone hosted an afternoon panel discussion exploring how the UK can rapidly upskill its workforce to meet circular economy and net zero ambitions, and what it will take to deliver green skills at scale.

With a strong focus on regional leadership, the session highlighted the West Midlands’ role in driving skills, industrial transformation, and circular innovation, while recognising that meaningful progress depends on collaboration across sectors, education, and government.

The panel was chaired by Richard Clewely, Senior Delivery Manager in Higher Level Skills for the West Midlands Combined Authority, and featured:

• Jordan Turner, Senior Lecturer at University of the Built Environment.
• Jane Hall, Founder of Green Edge Applications Ltd.
• Mike Townsend, Chief Executive Officer at Earthshine Group.
• Danielle Heward, Founder of Optimo.

Framing the Skills Challenge

Opening the discussion, Richard Clewely set out the scale of the challenge, describing the circular economy as a pure skills issue that is across all sectors such as manufacturing, construction, digital, supply chains and education. He emphasised that delivering change at speed requires people with the capability, creativity, and confidence to redesign how work is done.

From apprenticeships to c-suite leadership, the transition demands nationwide upskilling, and a system that can keep pace with rapid change.

Creating Focus for Skills Training

The first topic discussed focused on how to bring a spotlight to circular skills training across multiple sectors.

Jane Hall highlighted the need for action on two fronts: businesses must proactively plan for future skills need, while government support and incentives are essential to enable long-term training investment. She noted that organisations often prioritise compliance training, but circular skills require a more forward-looking approach.

Building on this, Mike Townsend stressed the importance of clear frameworks and regional strategies, pointing to the West Midlands’ focus on priority value chains such as manufacturing, construction, and food. Mapping how these value chains need to evolve, he argued, makes it possible to identify how roles are changing, where skills gaps exist, and how education and training providers can respond.

Value Chains, Data and Sector Alignment

As the conversation continued, the panel explored how sector-specific approaches can still unlock shared solutions.

Mike explained that while value chains must be sector-led, digital and commercial innovation cuts across all industries. Collaboration between stakeholders is critical to redefining how resources flow and how circular models can be scaled.

Jane added that challenges faced by the construction and waste sectors are remarkably similar, particularly around data, digital skills, and technology adoption.

With construction making up around 40% of UK waste, she stressed that the skills gaps in this sector have a significant impact on national resource management.

Discussions turned to data tools, material tracking, and material passports, sharing examples of how better information enables reuse, repair, and remanufacturing, providing that the workforce has the skills to use these systems effectively.

Education and Curriculum

Richard then turned the conversation to education and curriculum development, inviting Jordan Turner to share his perspective from a higher level of education.

Jordan spoke about how sustainability and circular economy principles need to be introduced much earlier within the education system, ideally at secondary school level, so young people can be aware of the range of careers available to them before making any decisions about the jobs that they want to pursue. He noted that too often people come across sustainability later in life rather than seeing it as a fundamental career pathway from the beginning.

Danielle offered a similar but slightly different view, suggesting that sustainability should not sit in a standalone subject at all, but instead be applied culturally across all subjects.

Jordan agreed emphasising that circular thinking should be applied across disciplines, from business and construction to art and geography.

Mindset and Cultural Change

The conversation then moved from systems and structures to mindset.

Richard asked the panel the question of how cultural change can be implemented across many businesses and the wider economy.

Jordan compared this to raising a child. He mentioned that there is no “right way,” but sharing what works, but also what does not, helps everyone move forward. In short, collaboration is key, not competition.

Mike reflected on this point, describing mindset as a prerequisite for seeing new opportunities. He highlighted that circular economy thinking requires a future-oriented view, looking at waste as resource, and old products as opportunities for remanufacturing and value creation rather than disposal.

Jane added that society has lost many repair and maintenance skills over time, and rebuilding this capability will be critical to creating a truly circular economy.

Calls to Action from the Panel

Before wrapping up the panel discussion, Richard invited each panellist to share one or two actions that could unlock speed and scale for circular economy skills. These were:

• Jordan called for stronger, more practical apprenticeships that allow students to apply theory in real-world settings right from the start.
• Jane urged organisations to provide sustainability training across entire businesses, not just environmental managers, while recognising the need for government support for SMEs.
• Mike stressed the importance of investment in people, education, and training, further highlighting the potential to create up to 170,000 new circular economy jobs in the West Midlands.
• Danielle rounded this up by exemplifying the power and value of knowledge sharing, learning from both success and failure to push progress across sectors.

Final Reflections

The discussion made clear that unlocking green skills at scale will require alignment between education, industry, and policy, as well as a cultural shift in how sustainability is understood and applied.

Rather than treating sustainability as a niche topic or just a set of green jobs, the panel agreed that it must be embedded across all roles, in all sectors within all levels of the workforce. With the right frameworks, funding and collaboration, the West Midlands has a significant opportunity to lead the way in building a circular, future-ready economy.

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