The State Office for Training, Further Education and Personnel Affairs (LAFP) NRW has developed a pioneering training course for training "eTrainers". The concept for digital trainer education is now being adopted by the EU as an official standard in the area of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
In an innovative pilot project, Guido Weber from the Department of Foreign Deployments successfully digitized the concept for international trainer education. Thanks to close cooperation with the European Security and Defence College (ESDC), it was possible to develop a course that will significantly improve the quality of virtual training in the future.
Digital teaching and learning as an additional pillar of training
The "Train the eTrainer" course combines modern teaching and learning methods, conserves resources and is environmentally friendly - without compromising on learning outcomes. The course enables participants to subsequently design their own digital live lessons in an adult-friendly and participatory way. Graduates can either create stand-alone teaching blocks or integrate them into more comprehensive hybrid learning courses.
This concept also received recognition and attention at international level.
Participants from the police, military and civil society praised the course for its innovative approach. The active involvement of the participants and the effective use of digital tools, which significantly increased engagement and the learning effect, were particularly highlighted.
"The course offers an exciting learning experience that also works online and helps participants to stay active and motivated," explains Isak Enstrom, Training Manager at the ESDC.
According to the Council of the European Union, the ESDC is the central institution for training under the CSDP. The cooperation between the LAFP NRW and the ESDC is highly valued and actively supported by the Ministry of the Interior of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Home Affairs, as it makes an important contribution to the further training of police and security forces in an international context.
Recognized throughout the EU: NRW as a pioneer
As a new standard in the field of digital teaching, all eTrainer courses within the framework of the European CSDP are to be based on this model in future.
The first European training institutes, including renowned institutions such as the Austrian Centre for Peace (ACP) and the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), have already approached the LAFP NRW to seek cooperation in the field of digital teaching.
The eTrainer courses, which are planned for the 2025 training year, are already in high demand both nationally and internationally.
Meinolf Schlotmann, Head of the Department for International Assignment, is correspondingly optimistic about the future: "With this step, we are setting new standards for digital learning and proving that we at LAFP NRW are not only moving with the times, but are also actively shaping the future."