The Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC) announced that it will join Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) to support REMADE Institute’s efforts to lead circular economy workforce training in the electronics scrap and remanufacturing industries.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) awarded $380,000 to REMADE, which is focused on developing innovative technologies to accelerate the U.S.'s transition to a circular economy. Funding was provided by the DOE’s Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office, intended to support future labor needs of industries.

The project partners will aim to develop bilingual online workforce training for roles that do not require four-year degrees in the e-scrap and remanufacturing industries. According to RIC, these industries have significant needs for employees, including shop-floor workers and repair, test, and diagnostic technicians. Specific training developed as part of this project will support entry-level shop-floor workers and provide progressive training to allow workers to move up the ladder into repair, test, and diagnostic technician jobs.

“RIC member companies are contending with the same labor shortages facing the rest of the manufacturing industry,” said RIC chair Jeff Sutherland. “We are pleased to support this project to facilitate the onboarding of new remanufacturing employees.”

“Upskilling the nation’s workforce is critical for ensuring the nation’s successful transition to a circular economy,” said REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr. “Improved training in these industries will reduce the onboarding costs for entry-level employees and facilitate upskilling. It will also address significant barriers for these businesses as they seek to accelerate circularity in the consumer electronics industry.”

Access more information about the new partnership effort via RIC’s press release.