The aim of this study was to gain insight into how two enterprises work with competence development and thereby study how the relationship between competence development and workers, employees, look like. The focus was on the workers motives and motivation towards a participation in a competence development course, their attitude to education, and how the transfer of skills gained from the course, into the workplace looks like. Further on, the work situations influence on the workers competence development has been taken into account.

In the study, six people were interviewed in the role of either manager, coach or course participant who are employed in two different enterprises in the south of Sweden.

The results showed that the participants were motivated by a strive for personal development or that the participants viewed education implementation as a part of the professional

career, which has resulted in a positive attitude towards the competence development course. The managers’ motive for decisions about education was to change the prevailing attitude among the staff for the better and thereby strengthen the company’s brand. 

The work situation has encouraged the desire to participate in developmental education as the feeling of control has encouraged the workers to further development. However, their already high work demands seemed to serve as a stressor, as the education participation increased the work load. Finally a difference is seen in both companies after completing the education, which indicates a successful transfer and application of the knowledge.