Practical Continuing Education for Interdisciplinary Excellence:
io-University
“It is not enough to know; one must also apply what one knows,” as Goethe once said. And when there is so much to apply, one can hardly know enough. Continuing education is therefore essential. It is most successful when it is practical and collaborative—especially when it comes to training employees for challenging interdisciplinary projects. This is exactly the case at io, where, for example, Building Information Modeling (BIM) intersects with fire safety issues, IT security, value stream-oriented factory planning, automation technologies in logistics, sustainability goals, and facility planning for warehouse and order-picking systems.
To equip its employees for exciting large-scale projects, io founded io-University two years ago. As the company’s in-house corporate academy, it forms the foundation of a sustainable learning culture. It is dedicated to internal knowledge transfer—ranging from basic knowledge to advanced training and specialized expertise—while also addressing legal, business, and quality aspects, as well as IT-supported processes. The subject- and project-specific training programs are complemented by a comprehensive range of soft-skills workshops.
Continuing Education with Added Value
Architects aren’t the only ones who appreciate the value of continuing education. They are required to provide proof of ongoing continuing education upon request from their respective state bar associations for architects. io has been an official training provider for the state bar associations for architects in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia since February 2023.
Diana Jalen serves as the program director. She is an alumna and lecturer at DHBW Mannheim, as well as a trainer, consultant, and project manager in the logistics industry and a client representative for industrial buildings. In developing new continuing education formats, she is regularly supported by internal instructors as well as by Selma Rapek and Nadine Gottselig from the human resources development team. Through interdisciplinary and cross-committee collaboration, the program not only imparts knowledge but also strengthens hands-on methodological skills and personal development—while fostering direct exchange of experiences and networking among participants. This has always been a key factor in the success of interdisciplinary work, which is the norm in io’s projects.
In an economy characterized by a shortage of skilled workers and increasing specialization, corporate training academies form the foundation for sustainable business success. The study “The Value of Training,” which surveyed 4,183 C-level executives in 70 countries, provides compelling evidence of this:
- 71 percent of CEOs view their employees as a key factor in sustainable growth—even more so than products, customer relationships, or brand building.
- 84 percent of employees at the top-performing companies receive the training they need. In contrast, at the least successful companies, only 16 percent of employees receive such training.
- Improving a team’s skills by 30 percent increases the likelihood of achieving ambitious goals by 10 to 100 percent.
- New employees are 42 percent more likely to stay with a company if they receive adequate training.
