Movement on the knowledge front

Continuing education providers are constantly expanding and adapting their programs. A selection over the second semester 2014.Michael Broglin does not know of any significant shifts in demand. "So far, we have remained at about the same level as last year, which is a positive development," says the head of marketing and training at the SAWI in Dübendorf. The same can be said of Central Switzerland. "As in previous years, interest in our offerings remained high this year," says Michael Boenigk from the Institute for Communication and Marketing at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU). "Demand for our 16 courses at the Marketing Academy has increased slightly overall this year," continues Peter Rüegger of the KV Lucerne Vocational Academy The Swiss training scene is alive and well, as numerous feedbacks from other institutes prove. Programs and courses in the marketing and communications segments in particular continue to enjoy great popularity. This is reason enough for training providers to continuously develop their offerings and expand their course portfolio wherever possible."Communications world is becoming increasingly dynamic"This is also done with regard to the second semester 2014, for example, the HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Zurich. After very positive experiences with the German version, the HWZ is launching a CAS Luxury Management in English for the first time after the summer vacations. The MAS Digital Business at the HWZ is also being expanded with a new module. In the second semester, a CAS Digital Technology Innovation can be completed for the first time as a component of this course.Responding to the "great popularity" for the CAS Online and Mobile Marketing Communication, as Joachim Tillessen from the Competence Center Integrated Communication Management says, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW and is expanding this course in the second semester to include the two brand new modules Online Communication as well as eCommerce, Internet Strategy and Business Model Innovation. "The world of communication is becoming increasingly dynamic. That's why we're making it possible for our Master's course in Corporate Communication Management to be taken during the year, thus increasing flexibility for our graduates," says Tillessen.News for the second half of 2014 also comes from SAWI in Dübendorf. The institute is launching a brand-new course entitled "Knowing, Convincing, Winning 65+". According to Michael Broglin, the program is aimed at people who are professionally involved in marketing to the target group of over 65s. Another new course soon to be launched at SAWI is Intercultural Management. "We want to appeal to graduates who operate in an international marketing environment. The focus is on the special needs of markets such as Asia or the Middle East," explains Broglin."Flagship communication" in LucerneThe KV Lucerne Vocational Academy will tackle the second semester of 2014 with a concentrated advertising offensive in an attempt to create the best conditions for a successful launch of the new HFMK College of Marketing and Communication at the beginning of 2015. "We assume that thanks to this 'flagship communication' we will also achieve a pull effect on the other 15 courses in our range," Peter Rüegger, Head of the Marketing Academy, is convinced. At the neighboring Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, those interested in continuing education will be able to tackle the two newly launched courses CAS Online Shops and Sales Marketing and CAS Product Management and Marketing for the first time in August 2014. SMI Swiss Marketing Institute in Köniz, near Bern, is back from its summer break. "We are launching a brand new course, the dipl. Marketing Manager HF," says the institute's director Nicole Spycher. She is convinced that young people from the retail or commercial sectors, who have already gained some experience in their profession, will find this new course a practice-oriented further training that will take them further. "The focus is not only on topics such as sales and marketing, but also on leadership, IT or business English," says Spycher, who is optimistic about the chances for the course. She has every right to be, because SMI can also look back on a successful first semester with growth rates compared to the previous year. Author: Robert Wildi