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The University of Konstanz receives funding from the Ministry of Economics in Stuttgart as one of six projects on the use of digitisation in professional training

Virtually all order and checkout processes in everyday business life are digital. Businesses use ERP (Enterprise-Resource-Planning) systems, software solutions that control company resources. The ability to understand and manage complex business transactions by using digital technologies belongs to the key skills every businessman or woman should have. At the University of Konstanz, a project on using digitisation in business training has been launched. It is one of six innovative pilot projects on the topic of digitisation in professional training funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economics with a total amount of 1.1 million euros.

Business trainees are not adequately trained to use ERP systems while at vocational school.  The Landesinstitut für Schulentwicklung in Stuttgart has noticed a growing demand for corresponding training opportunities both on the part of vocational schools and businesses. It has provided ERP solutions to vocational schools for some years and, with the Chambers of Industry and Commerce Hochrhein-Bodensee and Bodensee-Oberschwaben, it is one of the University of Konstanz’s project partners working to create updated training opportunities.

The University of Konstanz hosts the accompanying scientific programme, which has been set up to evaluate whether the new initiative promotes the teaching goals. Project leader Professor Stephan Schumann from the University of Konstanz, who specialises in economics and business education, and his team further investigate the impact of ERP-based learning techniques on the trainees’ professional competencies.

The overall aims of the pilot project, which will continue until February 2020, are as follows: A central, server-based ERP environment for use on mobile devices, especially tablets, shall be made available as a teaching tool. This is expected to make it much easier to use ERP applications in vocational business schools. Moreover, teachers and trainers shall have access to new training opportunities.

This new concept will be tested especially in vocational schools in the Lake Constance region, including, for instance, the partner network of the University of Konstanz’s Binational School of Education (BiSE). After the project’s successful conclusion, the new teaching concepts and materials will be made available to all vocational schools in the state free of charge.

Facts:

• Project: Promotion of professional competencies of business trainees through the tablet-based use of ERP applications
• One of six pilot projects on the use of digitisation in professional training
• The six approved projects are funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economics with a total amount of 1.1 million euros
• Shared project of the University of Konstanz, the Landesinstitut for Schulentwicklung in Stuttgart and the Chambers of Commerce Hochrhein-Bodensee and Bodensee-Oberschwaben
• The University of Konstanz organises the accompanying scientific programme
• All teaching concepts and materials created as part of the programme will be made available to all vocational schools in Baden Württemberg free of charge