New pathways to skills development: pooling skills to ensure structural change in Lusatia is a success

The project is funded under the federal government’s STARK programme. Approximately 1.5 million euros have been allocated for the four-year period running until the end of August 2030.

Structural change is altering job profiles, skills requirements and training needs within companies and institutions in Lusatia. At the same time, there is already a wide range of education and further training programmes in the region. This is where SKILL comes in: the project aims to systematically match needs with available programmes, identify gaps and develop new, seamlessly integrated training pathways.

At the heart of this joint project with TÜV Rheinland Academy is the establishment of a skills network for Lusatia, linking companies, universities, educational institutions, chambers of commerce, business development agencies and other stakeholders. Together, the aim is to identify skills needs at an early stage and to develop or link suitable training programmes.

“For the transition to a future-oriented Lusatia to succeed, we need not only innovative technologies and investment but also people who are qualified to shape these changes in a sustainable way. With SKILL, we aim to better link existing skills and training programmes. Where gaps currently exist, new pathways to qualifications are to be created. We see enormous potential in this,” says Prof. Dr Peer Schmidt, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.

The project brings together expertise and perspectives from academia and industry. The BTU is responsible for conducting academic analyses of skills requirements, developing a skills framework to structure these needs, and designing innovative teaching and learning programmes. TÜV Rheinland Academy is contributing its experience from vocational further education and collaboration with businesses.

About the project

Even during the application phase, SKILL received support from numerous companies, chambers of commerce, education providers and regional organisations. This collaboration is now to be further structured and expanded. A project advisory board will oversee the initiative and contribute diverse perspectives from business, academia, further education and regional development.

The project is divided into interconnected areas: under the umbrella of SkillsMap, regional skills needs and existing training programmes are identified and analysed. In the SkillsLab, new learning pathways, continuing education formats and teaching approaches are developed and tested. SkillsOrg handles management tasks and focuses in particular on the conditions under which skills development can succeed in companies and organisations. The result is SkillsNet, a moderated network that coordinates and raises the profile of the continuing education strategy for Lusatia. This provides long-term support for networking among regional stakeholders and ensures the sustainable consolidation of the structures that have been established.

 

Contact

Henry Herkula, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU)
, Project Co-ordinator at the Centre for Continuing Education