Innovative approaches to logistics design to enhance the skills of continuing professional development mentors

Background and Problem

The background to the project is the strengthening of in-company continuing training through continuing education mentors (Weiterbildungsmentor:innen, WBM), initiated by the National Continuing Education Strategy. The concept relies on low-threshold peer guidance within the company and aims to embed continuing training more firmly in companies' work and human resource development processes. This is particularly relevant for the logistics sector, as small and medium-sized enterprises often have only limited resources for systematic continuing training, while at the same time digitalisation, networking, automation and the need to secure skilled labour are leading to changing competence requirements.

The GEKKO project addresses this challenge by training WBM in small and medium-sized logistics companies, establishing them within the company and continuing to support them after their basic training. A particular focus is on employees in operational and dispatching roles, especially low-qualified employees, who to date have often participated in continuing training at below-average rates. Through a resource-oriented mentoring approach, WBM are to be enabled to provide orientation knowledge, reduce uncertainties, make development potential visible and point out in-company education and development pathways. In addition, a guidance and learning platform supported by generative AI is being developed to assist WBM in real guidance situations and in following up on their training.

Research questions

1. How can continuing education mentors in SMEs in the logistics sector be trained and anchored within the company?

2. How can WBM provide low-threshold support for continuing training and professional development, particularly to low-qualified employees?

3. How must an AI-supported guidance and learning platform be designed so that it effectively supports WBM in following up on their training and in their guidance practice?

4. Which conditions and transfer measures promote the sustainable implementation of WBM structures and a workplace-based culture of continuing training in logistics?

Approach

GEKKO is being carried out as a development and implementation project in a consortium of academia, continuing education, logistics practice and AI development. At the outset, a sector- and topic-specific network is being established, logistics companies are being approached, and company structures and existing mentoring approaches are being analysed. Qualitative surveys, in particular guided interviews with company stakeholders, are used for this purpose. The results serve to identify suitable WBM, determine sector-specific competence requirements and further develop existing training provision.

The training of the WBM is based on concepts that have already been tried and tested and is being adapted to the specific requirements of the logistics sector together with the project partners. Alongside this, needs and acceptance analyses are being conducted to capture attitudes towards innovative continuing training formats, barriers to continuing training and guidance needs. On this basis, personas and situational guidance scenarios are being developed that reflect typical challenges in WBM practice. These scenarios feed into the AI-supported guidance and learning platform, which is underpinned by an adapted language model, a project-specific knowledge base and a suitable interaction design.

The WBM are supported throughout the entire project period. This includes informal online meet-ups, networking events, workshops, webinars and training sessions on using the platform. Piloting takes place in the participating logistics companies and is evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively. Feedback from the WBM and the participating companies is fed iteratively into the further development of the platform, the training provision and the transfer measures.

Results

The expected results are a viable sector- and topic-specific network for establishing WBM in logistics, a structured analysis report on companies' starting conditions and mentoring structures, and a training concept for continuing education mentors adapted to the logistics sector.

A key result is the development and piloting of a scalable AI-supported guidance and learning platform. This provides WBM with materials, personas, guidance scenarios, up-to-date information and practical aids, and supports them in following up on and deepening their training. In addition, transfer-relevant indicators for evaluating the platform, recommendations for action for logistics companies, and a transfer concept and advisory services for the sustainable implementation of WBM structures are being developed. Overall, GEKKO is intended to help anchor continuing training in logistics companies in a way that is more workplace-based, low-threshold and development-oriented.

Dissemination and Transfer Activities

Transfer takes place via the logistics network established in the project, the project advisory board, and the strategic and associated partners from associations, companies, chambers, trade unions, continuing education and AI transfer. The project results are fed into associations, committees, companies, continuing training committees, working groups and education commissions. Networking events, informal online meet-ups, webinars, workshops and sector meetings serve the continuous exchange between academia, educational practice and companies.

At the end of the project, a transfer event is planned jointly with the Digital Hub Industry in order to make the results from logistics visible for other SME-oriented contexts as well. In addition, project results are disseminated through sector-specific events, scientific conferences, specialist publications, interim reports and practice-oriented transfer materials.