RREUSE's policy brief highlights a key challenge for Europe's circular transition: developing the right skills and making them accessible to all. Social enterprises in reuse, repair, and recycling play a crucial role by providing inclusive, work-based training that supports environmental goals and social inclusion. Despite their impact, they face persistent barriers such as limited funding, rigid training systems, and a lack of recognition within formal education.
In our brief, we welcome the EU's 2026 Recommendation on human capital, especially its focus on supporting low-skilled and underrepresented groups and strengthening vocational education and training (VET). However, more is needed to unlock social enterprises' full potential as skills providers.
RREUSE recommendations call for stronger integration between VET systems and social enterprises, more flexible and accessible VET programmes, better recognition of on-the-job skills, and policies linking training to real demand in the circular economy. Building a truly circular and inclusive economy requires investing in skills and ensuring they lead to meaningful, sustainable jobs.
Policy paper
