The launch of the ECo-C in new countries is an auspicious event, because it indicates that the programme is, as mentioned last week, fulfilling its purpose and scope as a high-quality certificate meant to attest to the possession of a very specific skill set. And yet, countries are a very general frame of operation, symbols, albeit symbols of great significance and with their own role to play; in practice, it is in the training centres, the instituts d’études, the Schulungscenter, the vzdelávacie inštitúcie that the ECo-C will be taught and discovered.

Germany’s Eckert Schulen, which according to recent reports have just decided to offer ECo-C certification and training), are an umbrella for many such, to the point where it would seem somewhat insufficient to refer to them as a single “training centre”. With its 29 locations, including one completely dedicated independent campus, this organisation is actually a staple institution for further education in Bavaria and Germany in general. In fact the offerings of Eckert Schulen include four bachelor programs and two masters’, in addition to an extensive range of skills and other certificates.

Aside from the great boost that such a pairing is set to give the ECo-C in Germany, observers would immediately note that this has great potential for mutual success; a conclusion which can easily be drawn from observing similarities between the philosophies of Eckert and the purposes and practices of the ECo-C.

In practical terms, the ECo-C defends and enforces its commitment to high-quality training through its very specific and stringent quality assurance system, which has been there since the certificate’s inception. In turn, this is echoed by Eckert, which became ISO certified in 2005. However, the true patents of nobility of that organisation came much earlier: For instance, when the Eckert Academy was recognised as an institution with a social purpose in 1979, or when the founder, Dr. Robert Eckert, was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit by the Republic of Germany, in 1983; both of these distinctions show that even then, the institution demonstrated excellence, and usefulness, traits which we believe it shares with the ECo-C, cementing their association.

In abstract terms, the schools consider their priorities to be “Concentration and job training”, “Orientation in the labour market”, “Seriousness”, “Continuity and Innovation”, “Economy and Efficiency” as well as “Respect”. By being a certificate offered to professionals wishing to increase their chances in the labour market as well as their abilities when working in a team, the ECo-C also maximizes returns for their companies, thus hitting all those proverbial nails squarely on the head.

Which leads us to ask the question that headlines our article: ECo-C & Eckert Schulen... a Match Made in Heaven?

 Pictured: Alexandra Ott-Kroner (Prokuristin und Fachbereichsleitung Fernlehrgangsentwicklung, Fernlehrinstitut Dr. Robert Eckert GmbH), Walter Hönig (Geschäftsführer, Fernlehrinstitut Dr. Robert Eckert GmbH), Karina Kaiblinger (International coordinator ECo-C Europe).