WATECO – Proactive industrial Wastewater Treatment
Supporting training become more relevant to the current needs of the economy.
WATECO is an Erasmus+ partnership between Italy and Germany that links industrial water treatment
with vocational education and training (VET). The project creates training tools, a transnational HUB and
practice-oriented seminars to help companies and VET providers tackle the environmental challenges of industrial
wastewater
About WATECO
Across Europe, industry is a major consumer of water and a signicant source of pollution. Large volumes of water are abstracted for industrial processes and later discharged as wastewater, which must be treated to protect ecosystems and human health. At the same time, there is a growing shortage of skilled workers able to operate advanced treatment technologies and support the green transition inside companies.
WATECO stands for WATer & ECOlogy, two significant elements of the environmental framework, and was developed as an European cooperation project between Italy and Germany, focusing on the training component.
Our Objectives
Bring VET closer to the environment
Integrate industrial wastewater & environmental awareness in VET
Strenghten Green Skills
We combine complementary experience in training and industrial water treatment
Know-how exchange in training
Create short videos and training materials and include them in a training course
Who We Work With
Trainers and professionals in enterprises (especially SMEs)
Staff working in companies that design, operate or maintain industrial water treatment plants and need to update their skills.
VET providers and training centres
Institutions interested in strengthening their offer in environmental protection, industrial water management, circular
economy and green skills.
Local stakeholders and policy actors
Municipalities, chambers of commerce, sector organisations and media that can connect policy, industry, research and
training at local and regional level.
Digital Training Tools
WATECO creates a package of training tools, including highi-quality short videos filmed in industry plants.
Each video:
- Presents specific equipment used in industrial water treatment
- explains how it works and how it fits into the wider treatment process
- highlights environmental benefits
The Structure of the training is designed around following arguments:
- Challenges in industrial water / wastewater treatment
- Training system in Germany for wastewater technology specialists
- Insights into wastewater treatment
- Future perspectives
Seminars
WATECO concludes with two national seminars, one in Italy and one in Germany, to present the project results and build a community around industrial wastewater treatment and VET.
Each seminar:
- Showcases the training pathway and the WATECO HUB
- Brings together companies, VET providers, local authorities and media
- Stimulates dialogue on how to further integrate idnustrial water treatment in training and upskilling
- Collects feedback and ideas for follow-up cooperation and future projects
Additional dissemination includes newsletters, online events, posts on social media and partner websistes, and targeted communication with industry and training networks.
Project Partners
BEW
BEW provides competent and up-to-date training, including blended online courses in an optimal learning environment with a very well developed infrastructure in Essen and Duisburg.
Tecnoconsulting
The company was funded in 1981 and is specialised in advanced water treatment technologies. Tecnoconsulting has been delivering high-quality solutions designed to minimise environmental impact and improve water sustainability, for worldwide clients from Europe to South Africa and South America. The company has experience in adult education and training, aligning with the growing need for specialized skills in the green economy. Tecnoconsulting is a promoter of educational, cultural, and socio-economic processes, supporting the development of a skilled workforce and contributing to the global Climate Tech movement.
Olpers
Olpers was funded in 2020 by two ambitious partners with the aim to contribute at a leading Eu market in the field of environment-ecology, business creation and research. Olpers is active in the field of environment-waste water, technology transfer and elaboration of various analysis, market studies.