Dr.-Ing. Peter Schupp explains why he firmly believes that vocational education and entrepreneurship are more important than ever
The acronym VUCA denotes the four main dynamic and complex qualities of a rapidly changing world: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. There’s nothing new about businesses and society as a whole facing completely new challenges. What is different, however, is how fast these challenges are bearing down on us. Steinbeis Entrepreneur and author of this edition’s Steinbeis Swipe column, Dr.-Ing. Peter Schupp, argues that the future of German industry is heavily dependent on how well the vocational education system adapts to the challenges of today’s world. Traditional approaches like the master-apprentice model have their merits, but need to be refined if they are to endure in an ever-changing environment. As well as preparing the next generation of skilled professionals for the labor market, innovative concepts like the project competence degree (PCD) can help to teach them the entrepreneurial mentality and creativity needed to survive in a complex world. This is key to ensuring the long-term resilience of businesses and society as a whole.
Disruption is a term that refers to radical, often unexpected changes that break up or replace existing structures, markets or technologies. Resilience is the ability to respond and adapt to these radical changes and come out stronger. Financial resources or a sound market position are no longer enough on their own to guarantee a company’s or a society’s resilience – the ability to act flexibly, innovatively and sustainably is becoming increasingly important. These abilities must be built up in a targeted manner and continuously refined – and this is where the education system plays a key role.
Entrepreneurship: the cornerstone of industry
In Germany, entrepreneurship is the driver of commercial success. With their pyramid-shaped, multi-layered supply chains and broad base, small and medium-sized enterprises play a particularly important role in creating stability and security. This tried-and-tested, centuries-old model is the foundation of a stable economy, creating job and income security. As well as being essential in economic terms, this security is also one of the main pillars of a stable society. But stability cannot be taken for granted. Innovation is the key to staying competitive and maintaining the resilience of the economy as a whole. And high educational standards and a well-trained workforce are essential enablers of innovation.
A future for the traditional master-apprentice model?
The master-apprentice model is a tried-and-tested approach in German industry. Together with entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized business structures, this traditional vocational education model is the basis of the quality and craftsmanship that underpin German industry’s global reputation. It is admired and much-copied, especially in countries that have learned to appreciate the dual education system. Yet it seems as if familiar values have long since been lost amid the jumble of modern terminology like employability, skill gaps, blended learning, re-/up-skilling, Bachelor’s and Master’s.
Training looks forward. In an age when knowledge is expanding at breathtaking speed and technologies like artificial intelligence are revolutionizing how we work and learn, the vocational education system needs to do more than just keep up – it must step boldly into the future. The idea that you don’t need to know everything, you just have to know where to find the information you need has very quickly become obsolete. Trying to add value by painstakingly gathering information is an outdated way of doing things. Now more than ever before, the real value is added not by acquiring knowledge, but through creative problem-solving and the ability to apply knowledge and translate it into genuine solutions. One thing we learned from the famous “42” answer in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is that even exact answers make no sense unless we understand the question or problem.
The project competence degree: a model for the future
To meet the requirements of the modern workplace, we need to develop innovative education models. Steinbeis University’s “project competence degree” could be one such model. It combines traditional vocational education with modern technology and new teaching methods. As well as imparting knowledge, the PCD first and foremost aims to promote the transfer and practical application of this knowledge.
The PCD provides education that is based on real projects and problems. Students receive intimate guidance and support comparable to the traditional master-apprentice model, and create value-added solutions in and for businesses while developing an understanding of problems, practical skills and problem-solving strategies. By working on real challenges, they don’t just acquire theoretical knowledge but also gain hands-on experience of how knowledge can be applied in order to foster innovation and thus resilience.
In this type of education model, there is no question about whether or not artificial intelligence should be used. On the contrary, tools like this should play a key role by taking over routine work so that the learner can concentrate on the genuinely creative, value-added tasks. The model retains the traditional role of the master, who acts as a mentor to the learner, fostering critical thought, creativity and the courage to do things differently – all essential qualities in a fast-changing world.
Education: the key to resilience
It is not just in the vocational education system that a blend of tradition and innovation is needed – it is also a crucial enabler of resilience in businesses. A vocational education system based on the PCD model helps to deliver the skills that will be key to tomorrow’s enterprises. As well as technical knowledge and skills, these also include an entrepreneurial mindset. Many higher education institutions mainly prepare students for middle management roles. However, if no incentives for entrepreneurship are created, innovation will eventually suffer.
The modern workplace faces a number of major challenges. Working from home and digital technology have transformed work culture.
The same trend is apparent in education. Startup culture, which was originally all about creative thinking and entrepreneurship, has in many cases become an artificial bubble where creativity is only fostered in very specific “artificial” environments. It is as if the only places where people are allowed to innovate anymore are around the barbecue or in a trailer or garage somewhere. But these settings mean that creative solutions are often disconnected from the real world of work.
A new role for education
In a world where the requirements in the workplace are changing faster than ever before, educational institutions need to reimagine their approach. It is no longer enough just to impart knowledge – education must actively support the transfer and application of this knowledge in practice. Rather than only preparing students for theoretical exams, this means also equipping them with the tools they need to solve real-world problems.
The project competence degree bridges the gap. It combines the valuable aspects of the traditional master-apprentice model – close support from experienced mentors and the teaching of craftsmanship – with the benefits of modern technology. The link between projects and businesses and the active use of AI helps students learn how to stay resilient in the VUCA world while adding genuine value at the same time.
Contact
Dr.-Ing. Peter Schupp (author)
CEO
SCMT Steinbeis Center of Management and Technology GmbH (Filderstadt)
www.scmt.com
Dr.-Ing. Peter Schupp is the CEO of SCMT Steinbeis Center of Management and Technology GmbH, which has provided consulting and recruiting services for over 20 years. SCMT is a partner of the School of Management and Technology at Steinbeis University, assisting with the recruitment and development of project staff and the next generation of leaders.