Lifelong learning is the biggest transition in education

Régine lives life at a fast pace; from director of Taalkracht, Ster College, de800, and LLO to mother of four, wife, and avid gardener, she lives life to the fullest. “I'm a Summa alumni; after completing junior general secondary education (MAVO), I went on to pursue a vocational college (MEAO). I couldn't express my creativity and talents there, so after obtaining my vocational diploma, I started studying social work and services at Fontys. For 15 years, I worked in the social sector, at MEE and later at Lumens. Throughout my working life, all my talents were called upon. That might be why I became a workaholic; I simply enjoy working. I've never aspired to reach a high position, but I've always believed it's important that everyone can develop their talents and participate in society and the job market.”

Passion for social impact

During my time in social work, I've been behind many front doors, and that has enriched me. It certainly gave me a broad perspective on life; where you're born and socialized matters a lot. Not everyone has had the wonderful opportunities I may have had. After five years as a social worker, I wanted to make an impact on a larger scale. That's why I pursued a postgraduate degree in Higher Management in Healthcare and moved to Lumens, where I touched the full spectrum and served on the management team. I'm always striving for innovation. Not as a goal in itself, but to ensure the world becomes a little better every day and thereby contribute to the accessibility of talent development.

Embracing change

Régine wanted to learn to hold her own in an even larger organization. At Lumens, I saw that many people in the Netherlands were dropping out of the regular work and education structures, so I consciously chose a position as a director in education. I wanted to contribute to the problem I saw. At Summa, I was surprised by the lack of adults in vocational education (MBO). We have such a wonderful education system, but where are the adults? From that surprise, I started exploring this topic and, during my first year at Summa, launched the initiative "De achthonderd" (The Eight Hundred). Considering the urgency from both the labor market and society, I then put LLO on the Summa agenda, and we have since embraced it with many people. I call this change, which we at Summa are experiencing, guiding a transition. LLO is the biggest transition in education, in my opinion. All leaders in this field must step into the arena and dare to face the headwind. And for the record: a leader is not tied to a hierarchical position. You face a lot of resistance, and you have to support each other in such a process.

Great strides in adult education

I view LLO as a transitional vision; it requires a fundamentally different way of thinking, acting, and organizing within the system and the structure of the education system. If you look at adult education from that perspective, we've already made great strides. We focus on it every day, more than 200 colleagues are enthusiastic about LLO, and last year we reached over 4.000 adult learners. We're certainly not there yet; I think it's moving too slowly considering the urgency of the outside world, but I'm proud of where we are.

Vulnerability and growth

Just because you're in a certain role doesn't mean you don't have to learn anymore. I still learn every day from my children, my husband, friends, network partners, and colleagues around me. Last year I took a master's module in transition management at Erasmus University, and this year I'm improving my English through Summa and participating in 'Speak in a Week' as part of that. Learning also means making yourself vulnerable, at any age and in any role.