Report from the BeaT Dialogue on December 5, 2023

On December 5, 2023, we had the opportunity to present the conclusions we had drawn from our research and practical experience to a small group of continuing education experts. While the icy weather outside slowed life down at times, inside we focused on our White Paper 2 and, more specifically, on what we call continuing education culture.

Essentially, the white paper argues that continuing education often does not have the status it needs in relation to the energy transition. In our research, we found that there are also different types of continuing education practices. For the three types of active, passive, and minimalist continuing education providers we identified, we presented our respective recommendations for supporting the development of a continuing education culture.

Our problem analysis was well received by the group, and the concept of a continuing education culture was also positively received. In an open exchange, further problems and opportunities were discussed. These included, for example, the acute shortage of skilled workers, which has increased employers' willingness to provide continuing education but has created a countervailing trend among employees. The concrete implementation of continuing education was also discussed. The social aspect and direct relevance to the subject matter received a great deal of attention. This cannot be achieved through purely online formats, for example, which have therefore become significantly less relevant in terms of increasing the attractiveness of continuing education.

Finally, we presented the peer learning concept developed in the project, which has already been successfully applied several times in the form of our “Train the Trainer” workshop. This project result was also well received.

We would like to thank our participants once again and look forward to continuing the exchange. If you are interested in our White Paper 2 or peer learning concept after reading this article, you can find links to them below.