CIWM has launched a Skills Matrix which provides guidance and support for professional and career development across the UK waste, recycling and resource management sector.
The Skills Matrix, launched by CIWM (The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) in conjunction with its Skills for the Future Working Group, provides a personalised roadmap for individuals and businesses.
CIWM says the Skills Matrix sets out the essential knowledge, capabilities and practical skills required to achieve success in a variety of roles at every career stage. It also has the potential to be a valuable tool for recruitment and future workforce planning, while helping to assess the skills and competency levels of existing staff, the membership organisation says.
Commenting on the launch, Chair of CIWM’s Skills for the Future Working Group, Dr Adam Read, said: “It is great to be part of the development and launch of this valuable tool which builds on many of the themes from my 2021 Presidential Report.
The aim of the working group is to ensure that the talent and professionalism… are supported at every level.
“The aim of the working group is to ensure that the talent and professionalism, which are so vital to the success of this sector, are supported at every level and are aligned with the increasingly diverse range of skills required to support its growth. The Skills Matrix will play an important role in helping us to achieve this both today and in the future.”
The matrix is valuable to individuals who can use it to explore potential career paths within the sector and chart their steps to success, CIWM says.
The Skills Matrix covers several areas including sector-specific competencies alongside behavioural and “soft” skills, these include:
- Waste and resources management sector – Core sector knowledge, legislation and compliance, and health, safety and wellbeing.
- Sustainability and the circular economy – Business models and environmental best practice.
- Professional standards and ethics – Codes of conduct, practice and ethics, and continuing professional development (CPD).
- Interpersonal skills – Effective communication, teamwork, conflict management.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and commitment to professional standards.
- Management and leadership – Decision making, project and people management, change management, stakeholder engagement and crisis management.
- Business skills – Systems thinking, negotiation and contract management.
- Digital literacy and business continuity.
CIWM’s Professional Services Director, Katie Cockburn, commented: “CIWM is committed to promoting professional standards in the waste and resources sector and supporting organisations and individuals to understand and develop the skills and competencies required across all roles and levels.
“The suite of tools provides a structured approach to learning and development and will help ensure we have the broad range of skills necessary to move the world beyond waste.”
