A three-module Circular Economy Literacy Training course went live for West Midlands small and medium-sized enterprises on 7 April, with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Cirklo Consult LTD positioning the e-learning programme as a direct lever on Sandwell's net zero goal.

The free programme introduces circular-economy principles, walks participants through sector-specific business models, and closes on implementation, policy drivers and impact measurement. WMCA and the consultancy Cirklo Consult LTD co-developed the curriculum, which runs entirely online and allows self-paced completion.

What does the curriculum cover?

The course divides into three modules, each finishing with an optional assessment that participants can retake. Module 1 sets out the core principles of a circular economy, the social, environmental and economic benefits, and the regional context, including the WMCA's wider circular-economy strategy.

Module 2 turns to commercial application, presenting circular business models and case studies drawn from five sectors: clothing, food, manufacturing, construction and community-level initiatives. The case-study format gives the training a practitioner orientation rather than a policy overview, with each sector framed as a route to operational change rather than corporate reporting.

Module 3 addresses the operational side: regulation, policy drivers, change-enablement tools and the metrics firms will need to track impact once they begin embedding circular practices into day-to-day operations.

Who is the course aimed at?

The training targets SMEs and larger businesses in the West Midlands. WMCA and Sandwell Council are framing uptake as a route to cost reduction and efficiency gains, while aligning activity with the borough's net zero commitment. The programme's stated objective is to equip organisations with the knowledge and tools to "embed circular strategies into their operations."

The decision to deliver the course as e-learning rather than instructor-led sessions reflects a deliberate trade-off: the WMCA is prioritising reach across time-pressed SME owners over the depth of a fixed cohort. Modules can be completed at the participant's own pace, with no minimum or maximum enrolment window defined in the launch materials, and participants can revisit content as their operations evolve.

Where does the course sit within WMCA's strategy?

The literacy course sits within the WMCA's "Creating a Circular Economy" environment and energy portfolio. By building a literacy layer first, the authority is signalling that behaviour change among SMEs — not just infrastructure investment — will determine whether regional circular-economy targets translate into measurable waste reduction on the ground. Sandwell Council, as the visible promoter of the launch, is also the named beneficiary of SME uptake data tied to its own net zero goal.

What milestone decides the next step?

The training is hosted on the WMCA's environment and energy platform as a standing resource rather than a fixed cohort programme, meaning enrolment remains open indefinitely. The benchmark that will decide the programme's effectiveness is SME uptake and the demonstrable link between course completion and changes in firms' waste, materials or energy performance — metrics that neither the WMCA nor Sandwell Council has set out in quantitative terms in the launch announcement.

Until the authority publishes those KPIs and a date by which it expects a defined share of regional SMEs to have completed the training, the course functions as a soft commitment rather than a tracked deliverable. For an industry used to tonnage targets and permit deadlines, that distinction will matter when progress is reviewed.