The IndustrieHansa Business Academy (IBA) is enhancing its provision of professional development courses. The move is being made possible by a partnership with the state-recognized business school FOM (Fachhochschule für Oekonomie & Management), based in Essen and with training facilities throughout Germany.

"IndustrieHansa attaches great importance to professional development," explains IBA training manager Harriet Zöllner, commenting on the quality offensive, which involves a change of training partner. IBA's new partner, FOM, is a highly renowned education provider with access to a nationwide pool of 500 university professors, and lecturers who are also business practitioners and academics. As a further benefit, FOM maintains training institutions in Aachen, Berlin, Bochum, Bonn, Bremen, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gütersloh, Hamburg, Marl, Munich, Neuss, Nuremberg, Siegen, and Stuttgart, which correlates perfectly with IndustrieHansa's network of local branch offices.

¬ Part-time study that fits around your job

The main elements of the partnership between IBA and FOM are a four-semester part-time MBA (Master of Business Administration) course and a range of seminars. "The MBA course at FOM will allow IndustrieHansa employees to study for a tailored academic qualification in a way that fits around their normal work," says Harriet Zöllner. This is because lectures, which take place two to three times a month, are held on Friday evenings and on Saturdays. To aid self-study, FOM also provides an online platform that serves as a virtual campus. The content of the course is based on theoretical principles and management techniques with a focus on international management. Students learn to combine their practical experience with
theoretical principles and put it to effective use in their everyday work. To reflect the international element of the course, most lectures are given in English.

¬ Tailor-made training

Seminars will continue to play an important role in IBA's training provision. "This is where we focus on enhancing and reinforcing employees' soft skills, methodical skills and technical skills," explains training manager Harriet Zöllner. The seminar content is designed to reflect these requirements, and it is also possible, in cooperation with FOM, to tailor the training material to the specific needs of IndustrieHansa employees. Seminars are held at FOM institutions. They take the form of two-day events with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 participants.