Continuing education is booming – for those who do it on their own To learn new things want, but also in companies. This offers great opportunities, especially for women over 40.
Everyone shouted: "Katja, come!" Katja Arnold remembers the moment when she came across a job advertisement on the ING Germany intranet at the beginning of 2019. The then 46-year-old had been employed by the bank for almost 20 years. Most recently, she was responsible for the annual financial statements as a consultant in financial accounting. The IT provided the data for these balance sheets. How exactly did they come about? Katja Arnold had wanted to know this for a long time and had therefore learned a database language on her own initiative.
The announcement came just as it was called for: the bank was looking for "hidden IT talents" for the "Smart Movers" training program – internal career changers who wanted to familiarize themselves with the world of information technology. Arnold applied, in the selection process she prevailed against dozen. Today she is a specialist in business intelligence. At 48 years of age.
It's never too late to take off
It's a move that was unthinkable in most organizations a while ago. Anyone approaching 50 and not being a manager was more likely to think about partial retirement than about internal further qualification. "For a long time the mid-40s was seen as the decisive limit," says Jutta Rump, director of the Institute for Employment and Employability in Ludwigshafen. "That has changed in recent years for a number of reasons." On the one hand, because the average age in companies is increasing: companies simply cannot afford to ignore a large proportion of their employees. On the other hand, the boundary of what we consider old has shifted, says Rump: "We feel younger and are healthier than our parents at the same age."
Of course, it is also due to digitization that private and in-house training opportunities are currently booming. New technologies are changing work processes and job profiles. If you don't keep your employees up to date with workshops on agile work, tech camps or part-time training programs, you will quickly lose touch.
In times like this, the opposite also applies to employees: Anyone who is willing to learn new things has a good chance of remaining a sought-after specialist in the second half of their professional life who scores not only with experience and composure, but also, for example, with AI -Expertise or the confident use of the latest digital tools.
The "work-of-tomorrow-law"
According to the "Adult Education Survey", the proportion of 50 to 64 year olds in Germany who take part in in-house courses or programs or who take further training on their own in seminars or study programs has risen continuously. In 1991 it was only 23 percent, in 2018 it was 50 percent.
Politicians have also recognized the importance of lifelong learning. The Qualification Opportunities Act of 2019 and the "Work of Tomorrow Act" of 2020 significantly improve the funding opportunities for further training and in some cases are even aimed specifically at older people.
Obviously, the pressure to constantly change can be exhausting. But it also opens up new opportunities. For example, becoming an IT specialist again at the age of almost 50, like Katja Arnold. Or even the possibility of packing several professions into one life.
Bachelor at 56, Master at 58, PhD at 62.
Like Barbara Mayerhofer, Head of the Nursing Management course at the Apollon University of Health Economics in Bremen. The now 69-year-old had actually trained to be a nurse and as such worked for several years in the operating room. But then she first did further training as a nursing pedagogue, later headed a nursing school, founded a hospice association – and at the age of 52 began to study alongside her job as manager of a provider in geriatric care: Bachelor at 56, Master at 58, doctorate with 62. "I just wanted to keep learning," she says. The question of whether she could do anything with her qualifications after retirement was irrelevant for her. "It was much more important to me to understand the background and to be able to bring things together." Her career is not an isolated case, says Mayerhofer. In nursing, it is quite common for women over 40 to really get started again after the family phase and – usually after studying part-time – switch from the nursing or nursing ward to management.
The "Silverpreneurs"
Ideally, companies such as the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson support their employees in their further development over decades. In addition to various offers for young talents, there is a program that is aimed specifically at employees who have been with the company for more than 25 years: the "silverpreneurs". In addition to seminars on mindfulness, the participants also take part in intergenerational talks with young employees. You work in groups on projects that are important for the future viability of the company.
For example, Antonie Wimmer, Senior Medical Manager for Psychiatry, dealt with change processes for several weeks during her participation. At the end of the day, she and her team presented the results to management. "That gave more visibility not only to me as a person, but also to everyone over 50 in the company," she says. She has also built up a larger network in the company through the "silverpreneurs". She found the exchange, including with colleagues with whom she would otherwise have nothing to do, for example from the field service, particularly enriching.
At 58, she no longer had the feeling of absolutely having to reach the next career level, she says. "I'm now in a phase in which I think: I've arrived, but I'm still open to new things. Now I can benefit from my experience and pass it on to younger colleagues." For example, her interest in medicine has grown over the years. "The older I get, the more fascinating I find what happens in the body."
In no case does she plan to only tend to her garden after her 65th birthday. She has lots of ideas: moderating events, for example. Or continue to work as a freelance mediator. In addition to her job, a few years ago she did a private apprenticeship and financed it herself. Her employer gave her some educational leave for this. Above all, Antonie Wimmer wants to share her knowledge with others: As a mentor in a women's advancement program at the University of Düsseldorf, she will continue to help young women with career planning.
Where can I find courses that suit me?
Workshops, seminars and courses of study are offered by chambers, associations, private organizations and universities. In pandemic times, a lot of what otherwise takes place on site runs digitally. An overview of important providers and search engines:
Find offers…
The employer-related Educational institutions for business are represented in every federal state and offer a wide range of training courses and coaching – from marketing seminars on crisis communication to training in balance sheet accounting (adbw.org). The course portfolio of the Vocational training facility of the German Federation of Trade Unions with around 200 locations (bfw.de).
Who in Kursnet of the Federal Employment Agency (kursnet.arbeitsagentur. de) searches, can indicate his initial occupation and is suggested topics. The lists distance learning and distance learning offers for a wide variety of areas Central office for distance learning on (zfu.de).
… and get advice
On the Further education information system of the IHKs (wis.ihk.de), in addition to a large seminar database, there are contacts to the IHK training consultants on site. They also help private individuals.
Suitable courses can also be found using the German education server (iwwb.de) research. Or at Info phone for advanced training of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research: 0800/2017909.
Totally digital
If you want to go about it digitally right away, you can do so at the private US online academy, for example Udacity (udacity.com) do. There is mainly training on IT topics such as AI or blockchain. The free offers from openHPI (open.hpi.de), the learning platform of the Hasso Plattner Institute. Squared Online (wearesquared.de) is a digital learning program for online marketing from Google.
We are looking for the best companies for women!
Uncomplicated home office regulations, Digital childcare, promotion of women to management positions – especially in turbulent times, companies can show how serious they are about equal opportunities.
We want to know who is working the hardest! In 2021 we will therefore be honoring the "Best Companies for Women" for the fourth time. With the personnel marketing experts from TERRITORY Embrace and a top-class advisory board, we are now looking for companies that are committed to promoting and supporting their employees. Participation in the study is possible until April 30, 2021 and of course free of charge. We will publish the "Best Companies for Women" in BRIGITTE on September 29, 2021. Companies that stand out in the study with particularly good ideas will be presented on October 2nd at the job symposium in Hamburg.
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Our advisory board: We developed the questionnaire with these experts
Janina Kugel Supervisory board member, senior advisor and speaker
Katharina Wrohlich Head of the Gender Economics research group at DIW
Henrike von Platen CEO and founder of the FPI Fair Pay Innovation Lab gGmbH
Ana Cristina Grohnert Chairwoman of the Diversity Charter employers' initiative
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