StrongerCircle

Project description

The South Limburg region is at the forefront of addressing the challenges posed by climate and energy transitions. These challenges include a shortage and forecast of skilled labour in technical sectors, a gap between existing and required competencies for the energy and materials transition, and the impending need for workforce replacement. To tackle these issues, we're leveraging support from the Just Transition Fund (JTF) to support the transition towards an net-zero, circular, and green chemistry economy.

Building on the success of our Circular Engineering bachelor's program, housed within the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University (UM) is expanding its educational offerings to continue to support current societal needs. By strengthening ties between academia, industry, and the community, particularly within the Chemelot Industrial ecosystem, we're addressing strategic labour shortages identified.

Collaborating closely with regional partners, we're spearheading a comprehensive program under the umbrella of the Just Transition Fund Track 3 in south Limburg. Our contribution to the 'Transition Academy South Limburg' aims to bolster the region's network infrastructure for climate transition development and training. Specifically, our project seeks to deepen the integration of society, innovation, and industry by widening  the curriculum and facilities of our existing Circular Engineering education. This includes expanding bachelors subjects areas into mechanical and manufacturing engineering, as well as introducing a new 24-month master's program in sustainable engineering.

Moreover, we're committed to bridging the gap between academia and the labour market by professionalizing engineering students and facilitating their integration into the south Limburg workforce. We aim to develop a two-way collaboration with industry and other levels of education through structured access to engineering courses for other educational institutions, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and broader industrial networks in the region, we're supporting the regional collaborative approach to addressing the pressing challenges of our time.