Further Training is capitalized. There is even a German training day and Companies spend billions on staff development. However, how sensible is prescribed Further Training for real?

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Continuing education with compulsion?

German companies spend 27 billion euros on further training Employees cost per year. They might as well spend a good chunk of that on lollipops. Because the usual further training measures bring only little.

They're as attractive to human brains as that Term just sounds - education as a coercive measure. But People learn particularly well when they can decide for themselves what they learn. If they have the fool's freedom to try new things. That's what makes lifelong Things to Learn Sinn.

But where is the core of the problem? Lifelong learning and continuing education are often used keywords: especially in times of crisis, it is summoned, indeed demanded by employees and the self-employed.

What is lifelong learning

Lifelong learning means the ability and, above all, the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements on the labor market by being Background and expand his skills.

But the further training measures with which the new Competencies are to be learned rarely keep what they promise. A bit of polemics are necessary - because we need a new approach and a discussion about new forms of further education.

That is how our brain learns

The thesis of lifelong learning is not wrong: Brain researchers and neurobiologists have now found out that one not only learns in childhood, but actually constantly:

All experiences and experiences influence the activity of our genes and alter the neuronal architecture of our brain. And the quickest way to do that is to understand, complete or correct actions - in other words, to learn creatively.

The neurology

Because the nerve cells of our thinking apparatus are permanently recombined depending on the influences of our environment. The technical term for this is neuroplasticity. Although, in younger people, such interconnections are faster than older ones.

But with increasing Age experience grows too. And the more you already know, the better you can link new content with existing knowledge. This is the advantage that the older generation has when it comes to learning. Lifelong learning is good if you can carry it out independently.

Why training is meaningless

Unfortunately, this is not the case, as vocational training usually takes place. It is often anything but creative and promotes time rather than learning. A pretty old-fashioned idea!

Problematic is already the conceptuality with which the word training in the general language jargon is often surrounded - it shows treacherously on how to imagine training: Namely controllable!

Telltale phrases

Companies develop company-specific, strategic continuing education concepts. The employment agencies put the unemployed in training and further education measures. And the state promotes the whole thing with education checks and education vouchers.

It is no coincidence that such and similar vocabulary has found its new home in the field of further education: further education obviously has to be planned with military precision so that it becomes Success leads. It has to be prescribed like a coercive measure so that people can take part in it at all.

As free as possible

It should only cost as little as possible, neither sweat nor effort, and certainly none Money. Therefore, checks and vouchers are used for payment – fast and painless. The approach behind many further training offers, which is obvious at first glance, is often questionable on closer inspection: further training should above all be fit for the Career . make

“Sure!”, We say obediently and take part in theCourses that our Executive or the employment agency serves - because apparently you can only make a career or even find a job if you educate yourself. However, it is often not asked whether the course is really useful for its participants.

The concrete benefit is missing!

This is fatal, however: whoever should learn or have to learn something, because it is supposed to be good for his career, but he can not use it at work, is often not motivated to learn properly.

It's like telling someone who mainly works night shifts in a time management course about biorhythms and particularly productive morning hours: The only thing missing is the concrete benefit - an abstract one Objective “Somehow good for a career” is not enough. And that's why further training is everything, just not good for your career.