On 28 May, professionals from the education sector and the business community gathered at KAAP in Vlissingen for the Lifelong Development Knowledge Festival. With over 120 professionals from more than 55 employers in Zeeland in attendance, there was considerable interest in the event.
Focus on learning and development
The festival was entirely dedicated to learning, development and future-proof employment practices. This also forms the basis of the collaboration between Scalda Next and HZ University of Applied Sciences (HZ) within the LLO Catalyst. Together, they are committed to further strengthening Lifelong Development in Zeeland.
The event was organised by Scalda Next, HZ, the Province of Zeeland, Werkcentrum Zeeland and HR Netwerk Zeeland.
Inspiring sessions and practical examples
Visitors gained inspiring insights, practical tools and the opportunity to exchange experiences with other organisations from the region. Chairperson Amara Kwekkeboom guided the attendees through the programme. Hendrik-Jan van Arenthals, Chair of the Executive Board of HZ University of Applied Sciences, gave the official opening address and emphasised the urgency of Lifelong Development in Zeeland.
“If we want to achieve broad prosperity in Zeeland by 2050, we need everyone who can contribute. It is vital to get the best out of everyone. Lifelong Development is an absolute necessity,” says Hendrik-Jan van Arenthals.
This was followed by, among other things, a keynote speech by Sara van Broekhoven of Future Talent Factory on the future of learning and working. Participants also gained insight into the current state of lifelong development in Zeeland.
During various breakout sessions, participants actively engaged with themes such as AI literacy, learning culture, development pathways and practical examples from the Zeeland business community. There was also plenty of opportunity to network and explore new collaborations.
Working together to build a strong learning culture
According to the organisers, the urgency surrounding lifelong development is growing. Zeeland is facing a changing labour market, staff shortages and rapid technological developments. This is precisely why investing in staff development is more important than ever.
Mischa Flore, director of Scalda Next, emphasises the importance of this for organisations. “A strong learning culture helps organisations keep employees engaged, agile and future-proof. With this knowledge festival, we bring education and the business community together to learn from one another and make Zeeland stronger together.”
With a high turnout and plenty of interaction between the education sector and the business community, the organisers can look back on a successful first edition of the LLO Knowledge Festival.
You can find more information about the opportunities at HZ on the Lifelong Development webpage.
