There is no way you can compare the work in and around the port to what it used to be. That also applies to the range of training available to port professionals. They want to keep learning and at the same time keep working on their personal development. The training offer of STC Next is geared to ‘lifelong learning’. What makes this offer so unique?
A changing world
“The harbour is changing at breakneck speed,” says Simone van Meurs, Lifelong Development Advisor at STC Next. “There is far-reaching automation and digitalization. There are also global developments such as climate change, attention to the environment and sustainability. No industry can stay behind in this. In and around the port, too, a new generation of workers is on the horizon. They are looking for a different work-life balance, and they want room for well-being and personal development. This balance obliges us, together with clients and professionals, to look for the answer to the question: ‘What’s next?'”
Searching for the ideal life
“Educators in the industrial port complex cannot ignore this changing view of work and education,” says Simone. “Present and future are becoming more and more intertwined, and at the organizational level, questions like: Where do we want our organization to go? How do we connect to the port of the future? What skills do our employees need to make this possible? At the individual level, other questions come into play: What does my ideal life look like? How can an educator help me with my growth path? How can I learn in my own way? To those questions STC Next connects with a well-tuned, short, agile and widely recognized training offer.”
Meeting every training demand
Developments in education make it possible to develop and offer formal education in a modular way as well. This makes public education more accessible to professionals. STC Next is also closely linked to business, industry associations and government, at national, European and global levels. “Our network gives our teachers and consultants every opportunity to keep in touch with practice. Our course participants benefit from their knowledge. This allows us to advise organizations and individuals on the best training program: from standard in-service training to custom-developed, high-quality training materials from A to Z. This is truly in the spirit of lifelong development.”
Immediately in practice
The learning process itself is also different than before, Simone knows. “This is much more focused on the desire of professionals. For example, the theory is directly applied into port practice, often based on practical cases. In our port training centers and our fire safety center, we also have all the resources available to make it life-like, such as simulators. We can simulate every conceivable situation. This way we train our students in the most realistic practical situations possible and we ensure that they are permanently employable in their (future) profession.
Proud story
Lifelong development: it is now widely accepted in society. “We see that developments are going faster and faster, especially in and around the port. This also has implications for education. We help organizations and individuals with their development so that they remain attuned to society. That is why we are so proud of our story, and tell again and again: STC Next keeps you growing.”