Learning Through Dialogue: qSkills Focuses on Hands On IT Security Training

Customer Stories – Where Connections Shape the Future: Trade shows are more than just places where products are displayed. They are moments of connection. Here, conversations take shape that spark new ideas, partnerships that grow, and perspectives that endure. In the “Customer Stories” series, exhibitors explain why NürnbergMesse is exactly that kind of place for them – each trade fair with its own focus, each story with its own perspective.

Written by Stefan Jablonka

A woman and a man with short hair, dressed in business attire, are standing in front of the qSkills booth.

When it comes to IT security, knowledge alone is not enough. What matters is what follows from it. For qSkills, the focus is therefore not on pure knowledge transfer, but on practical application in everyday working life. “You don’t attend a training course to gain knowledge – you attend it to actively do something with that knowledge,” says Christian Jacobs, Managing Director of qSkills™ GmbH & Co. KG.

Keeping pace with change

This mindset is closely linked to a clear ambition: relevance. In an industry that is constantly evolving, outdated knowledge has no place. “Nobody wants a Windows 7 training anymore,” Christian Jacobs puts it succinctly. What matters is identifying developments early and continuously adapting content. This also means not only observing trends, but interpreting them and translating them into concrete learning offerings. “You always have to read the crystal ball a bit,” Jacobs adds.

it sa as a space for reflection

A key place for this exchange is it-sa Expo & Congress in Nuremberg. For qSkills, it is far more than a trade fair – it serves as a mirror of the industry. “The trade fair gives you the opportunity to gain a very good overview in a short amount of time,” explains Christian Jacobs. Conversations with manufacturers, partners and users merge into an overall picture that rarely emerges in everyday work.

This exchange is crucial: different perspectives come together, experiences are shared and developments jointly assessed. “In the end, these are all subjective perspectives, and the overall picture only emerges over time,” Jacobs says.

Two men with short hair are standing in front of the qSkills “Hands-On Training” server racks. — Application focused learning formats help transfer IT security knowledge into daily work.

Exchange instead of silos

The idea that knowledge grows through dialogue is also reflected beyond the trade fair. qSkills has long been intentionally connecting companies – for example through experience groups on topics such as cloud computing, cyber insurance or regulatory requirements. The idea is to pool resources rather than reinvent the wheel. “Not everyone has to start from scratch,” says Beate Jacobs. Especially in sensitive areas such as IT security, this creates protected spaces for confidential, practice oriented dialogue.

Quality as a core promise

The commitment to quality runs through the entire business model. The name “qSkills” itself stands for the combination of quality and skills. “We have values – and those are values of quality,” emphasizes Birgit Jacobs, Managing Director of qSkills™ GmbH & Co. KG. Trainings are therefore deliberately not standardized, but tailored to the specific needs of participants. “We try to respond to the participants,” says Birgit Jacobs. Content is adapted situationally, priorities are shifted – always with the aim of achieving maximum relevance.

Partnership on equal footing

This approach is also reflected in the collaboration with NürnbergMesse. The relationship is clearly defined: “Trust based. On equal footing. And partnership driven,” says Christian Jacobs. The trade fair is not seen merely as a platform, but as an active partner – open to feedback, approachable when challenges arise and willing to jointly develop solutions.

A man and a woman in business attire are shaking hands at the qSkills booth, while another man in business attire stands nearby. — Dialogue helps turn learning content into relevant and actionable knowledge.

Personal encounters remain essential

Despite the growing importance of digital formats, one thing remains indispensable for qSkills: personal encounters. Learning is always a social process, shaped by exchange, discussion and shared experience. “Personal encounters are still important,” says Birgit Jacobs. Especially in training formats, the value of direct dialogue becomes apparent – for example during shared evening sessions where participants engage with one another and learn from each other.

The core of the trade fair

What ultimately remains is a clear measure of trade fair success: the quality of conversations. What matters is not quantity, but substance – conversations from which something grows. “The seed has been planted, and something begins to take root,” Birgit Jacobs concludes.

Author

Stefan Jablonka

Freelance journalist