The increasing spread of the corona virus is leaving its mark on the entire economy and has fundamentally changed our lives in the past weeks. Many small and medium-sized companies are fearing for their existence, and food and confectionery manufacturers are facing new challenges due to staff shortages, new hygiene rules or the loss of sales channels.

There have also been some fundamental changes at the ZDS: the vocational school has been closed since 16 March 2020, and seminars and events have also ceased to take place. Nevertheless, there are some rays of hope and new opportunities in this crisis: on the one hand, we can see a lot of solidarity and help in this extraordinary situation. So, for example, liquor manufacturers donate alcohol for the production of disinfectants or produce them themselves. On the other hand, new business models are developing: online sales are currently experiencing a new boom, confectionery manufacturers are presenting new product ideas in live videos on social media channels, and the demand for webinars is constantly growing.

At the ZDS, vocational students have been prepared for their exams via the Moodle learning platform, and they can communicate with teachers via chats and ask questions about the learning content since the school has been closed. In the seminar branch, those in charge are in the process of restructuring the planning of our courses accordingly, and they are working hard on new solutions, including the possibility of offering online seminars. First of all, the specialist teachers are being trained in the use of the new medium, and, in parallel, new content is being developed or parts of the practical courses are being revised for a webinar.

On its website, the ZDS will keep interested parties up to date about all developments. There, they will also find an overview of all courses and any new dates.