CHRIS JAMES CEO at WAMITAB WAMITAB provides an end-to-end solution - from operative to management level qualifications in resource management and recycling, cleaning, street cleansing, facilities management and parking.
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wamitab.org.uk TRAINING
Panel debates get the sector talking
RWM is one of the main trade shows in the recycling and waste management calendar and this year’s event at the NEC, Birmingham attracted almost 15,000 visitors from over 110 countries.
WAMITAB had a stand at the show and, in honour of our 30th anniversary, we opted to sponsor the panel debates which provided a forum for discussion for employers in the sector to share views on some key topics.
Over the two days of the show there were 11 panel sessions covering nine key topics currently facing the sector: legislation briefing, operations briefing, policy briefing, UN Sustainable Development Goals, sector expansion and convergence, the effects of digitalisation, and making the resource management sector an attractive career choice for millennials. There was also a debate on equality and another exploring the Deposit and Refund Debate ran on both days. The debates proved a highly successful and popular feature, with standing room only for a number of the sessions.
Equality panel
On both days of the show, the Equality Panel was chaired by Beverley Simonson,
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Local Authority Support Manager for the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWRB) and covered a range of topics such as the barriers of entry for certain industries, the importance of employing a diverse workforce, and what ways language could make certain industries more inclusive and appealing to all.
Whilst there is no escaping the fact that waste and resource management is still very male dominated, that does not mean it will always be so and those working in the sector need to make sure that their recruitment processes are open to everyone with the right skill set regardless of gender or ethnicity. Hopefully diversity and equality will be watchwords for future sector events.
Deposit and Refund
Another topic that warranted two airings was the Deposit and Refund Debate, which invited businesses such as Coca- Cola European Partners, Suez Recycling and Recovery UK, Environmental Services Association, Alupro, and Eunomia Research and Consulting Ltd to join the discussion and explore next steps and their implications. Since it was given the green light in 2018, how far has the Deposit Return Scheme advanced in the United Kingdom?
With a strong focus in the trade and popular press on environmental issues and the green agenda, the sector has never had a higher profile so perhaps now the time is ripe to capitalise on this and encourage more people to think about a career in the sector and, at the same time, make sure that what we offer is an inclusive, supportive and innovative work environment.
Those already working in the sector know that it is not just about moving rubbish and the breadth of the topics across two days of debate at RWM 2019 emphasises this but many on the outside have quite a narrow view about what we do and its importance to the economy.
This is not a simple process of “bigging up” the sector with re-branded job titles. Rather it is about raising awareness about the pivotal role waste and resource management has to play in addressing some of the issues relating to cleaning up Britain and encouraging a more circular economy approach with an emphasis on sustainability.
See you at RWM 2020: 16th and 17th September.
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