Study: majority anticipate more digital continuing vocational education and training in the future

The future belongs to digital continuing vocational education and training. More than half of participants in a recent survey anticipate that seminars and training courses in future will increasingly take place virtually. This is shown in a joint study conducted by the Bitkom Academy and HRpepper Management Consultants.

The survey also found that continuing vocational education and training is becoming shorter, more digital, more efficient, more targeted, and can be more easily integrated within day-to-day working life. Also, the trend towards employees increasingly managing their own continuing professional development is set to continue. "The point when employees are expected to take on greater responsibility for their own continuing vocational education and training is precisely the time for management to communicate the strategic value of further training within the company. Management should also put in place a general framework within which employees are able, and permitted, to take on even greater personal responsibility for this," explains Dr. Matthias, Managing Partner of HRpepper Management Consultants.

The survey findings on continuing vocational education and training during the coronavirus lockdown show that the freedoms created over a very short period are already being used for personal development. Almost one in three people said they had devoted more time to continuing vocational education and training since the start of the coronavirus crisis. The greatest growth was shown by free training offers in the digital space.

Almost 90 per cent of respondents stated they had attended free online seminars. "There has again been strong growth in the need for digital continuing vocational education and training offers as a result of the coronavirus crisis. But even after this period, virtual training courses may form an important component of personal development. At the same time however, continuing vocational education and training delivered digitally is also reducing the pressure on CVET budgets – travel expenses for example are no longer claimed. This enables existing funds to be deployed in an even more targeted manner for the training of skilled workers and managers," explains Anja Olsok, Director of Bitkom Service Company, summarising the developments over recent months and the findings from the study.

The information is based on a joint survey conducted by the Bitkom Academy and HRpepper Management Consultants. In May 2020 around 400 skilled workers and managers were surveyed online about the scenarios described. Eleven expert interviews were also conducted.