In November lastyear, we reported that an ECo-C preparation course was taken up byBFI-Oberösterreich to form part of “a diploma course in social competency,which should include over 100 hours of tuition in specific topics, such asteamwork, conflict management, cooperation, and personal competency”, as wedescribed it at that time. There is something eminently appropriate, andaltogether fitting, to the fact that the first results are in already.

If this coursestarted at the beginning of December, and taking into account all thesubsequent holidays, as well as a rate of learning of a few hours per week,teaching of the ECo-C related topics would have come to a conclusion around themiddle of March, give or take a week (which may even have been set aside forrevision and home study). Then, the students would have gone to take the exams,which would then need to be graded, then the grades verified and the resultsverified in accordance with quality assurance standards; following this, theywould be announced and the certificates awarded. Which brings us to the hereand now: to discuss the achievements of those who, some months ago, set out onthe Education Highway.Of the 14 who set out, 10 arrived the most swiftly at their destination,passing the tests on their first attempt.

From our vantagepoint, we would like to wish these young professionals the best of success inthe future. This project, which was financed by “Innovatives Österreich 2010”was innovative in its nature: it supported a new kind of training for a newgroup of people. But, from the moment it was established, it implied a furtherinnovation: the one that these young people will bring to their somedayworkplaces, the one that will come from their own aptitude to innovate; we arenot worried about them: they already demonstrated they have this capabilitywhen they chose to take an atypical, new course to begin with.

Meanwhile, we lookto the next generation of young innovators. The next Education Highway DiplomaCourse will begin in Autumun 2011; interested applicants should call the BFIService line at 0810 – 004 005 from Austria.