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European Institute of Innovation and Technology aims to help fill “skills gaps” in industries
The EU is launching an education academy focused on raw materials to help plug skills gaps for industries in fields including batteries and space technologies.
Implemented by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the academy will use €10 million from sources including the EU research and innovation programme to train an expected 100,000 participants.
Partnering with education and training providers, it will develop learning content and qualifications related to materials exploration, extraction, processing and recycling.
Downstream aims include stimulating relevant R&I, increasing production capacities for industries and helping industries reduce their environmental footprints.
The European Commission’s new executive vice-president for prosperity and industrial strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, said that making Europe a leader in raw materials production and research is an “essential element” of the EU’s competitiveness and sovereignty.
“Europe must ensure a diversified and resilient supply chain…we need to reduce our dependencies with our domestic production meeting high-quality standards,” he said.
The academy was announced on 9 December during the EU’s Raw Materials Week and will be the second set up under the EU’s Net-Zero Industry Act, after the European Solar Academy was launched in June.
Correction 11/12 – This article originally stated that there would be 1,200 participants, in accordance with the original announcement, which was later altered to the figure of 100,000