U P D AT E Y O U R M A R K E T I N G K N O W L E D G E
‘Without it, your business will fail’ TEXT: MYRIAM DIJCK | PHOTOS: BEECKESTIJN BUSINESS SCHOOL
The world of business commerce has completely changed due to the global impact and rapid development of the internet. Online shopping, social media and smartphone use have drastically altered the way in which businesses reach out and interact with clients: not only for consumers but also in business-to-business. For professionals and companies, it is more essential than ever before to continuously update their knowledge. This is what Beeckestijn Business School aims to provide, by offering courses that allow experienced professionals to keep up with the latest developments in their field. Because, just having work experience is no longer enough to stay ahead, says director Hans Molenaar: “In the past, you could graduate from a decent 38 | Issue 69 | September 2019
college or university and have all the knowledge you need to reach your pension. Experience was enough and that is no longer the case. Current knowledge is becoming more valuable than experience, you have to stay up to date with the latest developments.”
Blended learning
Beeckestijn has a unique approach to teaching, which they call ‘action learning’. They help students implement their knowledge by assisting them with creating a comprehensive plan of action that can be executed when the course is over, or even before. He continues: “We don’t believe in exams. Instead, we want students to leave the course with a completed business plan, including a vision, plan of execution and an overview of the costs involved.”
The classroom sessions are typically held once a week, and are usually in groups of around 14 people. Outside of those, students can request one-on-one feedback from teachers and get access to online tools to further their learning. “We allow students to study the theory in their own time and then the classes are all about unlocking that knowledge. We focus on the practical application by using cases or people’s own situations,” Molenaar says. “In order to ensure the best guidance, all of our teachers are top professionals who work in the field, and only teach part-time.”
Dozens of courses offered
The business school was founded in 2000, alongside the rise of the internet, as it had such an unprecedented impact on jobs in the commercial industries. “We