Attractive and future-proof jobs in the pulp and paper sector are a common concern for employers and trade unions. Strong social dialogue will be key for quality working conditions and attractive workplaces, and for addressing skills needs.

On 15 February 2022, the final conference marked the conclusion of the two-year EU project* 'Turn the Page – Recruitment strategies to attract young talents in the paper industry'.  

'Turn the Page' was launched in March 2020 by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) in cooperation with industriAll European Trade Union. Supported by national partners in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy and Poland and by Spin360 as technical partner, its main goal was to develop an overall strategy to attract and retain young people to the pulp and paper sector.

"The European pulp & paper industry is a green, highly innovative and increasingly digital sector, offering many exciting job and career opportunities. However, this is not commonly known. Turn The Page allowed us to develop solutions and tools to communicate in a way that is matching the needs and expectations of the young generation” said Jori Ringman, Director General of Cepi at the opening of the event.

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe added: “Attractive and future-proof jobs in the pulp and paper sector are a common concern for employers and trade unions. Strong social dialogue will be key for quality working conditions and attractive workplaces, and for addressing skills needs. As social partners, we will continue our work on this at the different levels.”

During the two years, the project has achieved important outcomes that can be used across all Europe, such as:

• The creation of an interactive Best Practice Toolkit for paper companies, education and training providers, unions and associations providing recommendations and concrete best practices to attract and retain young workers.

• A dedicated website with information on the sector, including a list of paper related schools and courses across the EU, descriptions of job profiles specific for the paper industry, as well as video testimonials of young people working in the industry.

• Success stories from dedicated events organized in the four partner countries that brought young students in contact with the industry, outlining job opportunities and sharing experiences about working in the paper industry.

The final conference was attended by 100 representatives of the European Commission, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), paper producers, trade unions, VET providers as well as young people working in the industry. During the conference, project results were presented and discussed with sectoral stakeholders on how to further enhance the attractiveness of the paper sector and set the way forward.

*Project VS/2020/0016 is financed with the support of the European Commission

Find out more about the project: www.turnthepageproject.eu