From intern to working student at A16 Rotterdam

Learning is done primarily by doing and that can be done beautifully here

For an intern it must be the Mecca of all internships, taking part in the A16 Rotterdam infra project. A project that construction consortium De Groene Boog is realizing on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat. Every effort is being made to make trainees feel at home and to involve them as widely as possible in this project, which really covers all disciplines of GWW work. Starting point for showing all those facets is the well-equipped and interactive Expo A16 Rotterdam. Anyone interested in the project is welcome there, but a special welcome applies to schoolchildren and students. We speak with HR manager Carola Dickhoff, about enthusing young talent and showing what diversity of opportunities there are to work in construction and infrastructure.

Showing more than just technology

"The A16 Academy was established at the same time as the Expo A16 Rotterdam. The Expo is a wonderful means to give an overview of the entire project in an appealing way," Carola opens the conversation. "The Academy shows more than just technology. We target students from grade 7 in elementary school to university students. Our strong point is that we show diversity, many professions at all levels. From earthworks to design and finance. The reason engineering is in the spotlight is because that is precisely where we face the biggest shortages when it comes to new recruits."

Fun facts and trivia with assignments

Educational sheets have been developed for the kids, which can be downloaded from the website. "These contain fun facts and trivia about our work, coupled with assignments. These sheets have been extensively publicized at educational institutions in the region, and schools and teachers are picking it up well. We offer six educational sheets about the Rottemer Tunnel, soil conditions, the Hollandse Polder theme, the GWW sector in general, archaeology and the Twin 16. The sheets are written for grade 7 and 8 students and for the first two years of high school. Everything is set up so that it is also fun for parents and teachers to read."   

The A16 Academy literally invites everyone into the heart of the action, due to its location at Expo A16 Rotterdam. "We want to catch the attention of the fledgling youth and also offer internships," Carola continues. "We give guest lectures at Hogeschool Rotterdam, Haagse Hogeschool and TU Delft. We are also part of several technique weeks of secondary schools in the area.

And at the Expo A16 Rotterdam itself, there is plenty for youngsters to experience, through treasure hunts, question and answer sheets and interactive elements. For students, we provide guest presentations on civil engineering within the A16 Rotterdam project. Twice a year we create space for 12 interns, who we recruit through the parent companies represented in De Groene Boog. They then also do internships through these companies."

Diversity on the construction site

There is room for everyone, Carola outlines. "We show diversity, we show that engineering is fun and broad. This diversity on the construction site is well reflected in the fact that we have as many as 30 nationalities at work, in all occupational groups. We let young people experience the beauty of doing real tangible work, quite special in our digital age. The pride that comes with creating something great together gives people wings."

The Expo and Academy focus primarily on the region, but there is no shortage of attention from across the country: "We also get students from outside the region, associations and foundations who want to visit us on their own. The project is very much in the picture and we make grateful use of this to remove any prejudice about working in construction and infrastructure. After all, unknown makes unloved," says Carola.

From intern to working student

Jasper Hoogendoorn is actually a BN already, with the lead role he plays in a sympathetic video (see QR code) made about learning and working at De Groene Boog. Jasper is 20 and did an internship on the project and then continued as a working student. "I am studying Civil Engineering at the Hogeschool van Rotterdam," he says. "To be honest, I didn't apply for Civil Engineering until the last minute; I doubted for a long time whether I didn't want to join another engineering course. However, at an open day at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, I was 'gripped' by Civil Engineering. At the start of the study, I did not really have a realistic picture of what the profession entailed. Gradually I gained more insight. Civil Engineering certainly met my expectations, but turned out to be much broader than I had initially assumed." Jasper is now in his 3rd year and doing his Minor in the 4th year, "I enrolled in Structural Design. At De Groene Boog, I did an internship in execution and work preparation and stuck around as a working student. I'm working at BESIX and going to further study Civil Concrete Construction. You know what I've come to realize since I've been walking here? That working in infra is about making the Netherlands future-proof. It is not only beautiful work, but also meaningful work. Needless to say, I am proud of what we do! My dream at the moment? To be offered an internship for my fourth year, in structural concrete construction abroad. Bring it on if you have such an internship for me!"

Internships at the Rottemer Tunnel

From the Hogeschool Groningen, studying Civil Engineering, Jelle Kromhout has started working as an intern at De Groene Boog, on the part where the Rottemerentunnel is being built. Jelle is 19 years old and is in his 3rd year. "From a young age I was already interested in construction. Studying Built Environment in the first year introduced me to Civil Engineering, Spatial Development and Construction. At the end of that year, I chose Civil Engineering. The great thing about it is working on large and diverse projects; the large scale and "ruggedness" really appeal to me. At the Rottemer Tunnel I am assistant superintendent for the wet excavations. It is wonderful to see all the different disciplines coming together at the Rottemer Tunnel. After graduation, I hope to start somewhere in the Netherlands with my heart and soul in Civil Engineering. Where in the country, I don't care."

Wouter Klein Roseboom is also doing an internship at the Rottemerentunnel. He is 21 years old and is in his 3rd year of Civil Engineering at the HAN in Arnhem. Wouter: "In this internship I am working with the work preparation for the reinforced underwater concrete floor, the tunnel legs and everything around it. That ranges from the substructure to the superstructure of the tunnel. The reason I chose Civil Engineering is because I wanted to get involved with engineering in larger structures. So you can understand that I can really enjoy myself at the Rottemer Tunnel. Through a study choice check at secondary school I ended up at HAN Civil Engineering, which I don't regret. What I learn here is the difference between theory and practice. What you learn here in practice, the knowledge from school can't compete with that. I am very proud of this project. When I finish my studies, I want to work on a similar project, super integral work with all disciplines. That could be in the Netherlands, but abroad also seems very interesting to me."

Site Engineering Internship at The Green Bow

A very different kind of internship was done by Lotte Beekwilder, who ended up on Site Engineering, at the headquarters of De Groene Boog. She successfully completed the internship and talks about her experiences: "I was 19 years old at the time of this internship and was (and still am) in my 3rd year of Civil Engineering at the Hogeschool van Rotterdam. At De Groene Boog, I participated in different teams in the Site Engineering department and helped with drafting requirements, test reports for different components, dealt with water runoff and the functioning of guide rails. I also got to help create drawings in AutoCAD. That was very fun and educational, as there is not much AutoCAD offered at the college, which is why I chose AutoCAD as an elective." When asked how Lotte got into Civil Engineering, she laughingly answers, "My high school was a theater school. Fun, but job-wise very insecure, I realized. Since I also liked math and physics, I looked more into technical courses. Civil Engineering stood out positively; I knew immediately that I wanted to go in that direction."

In conclusion, we ask Lotte what it's like to be "the woman on construction. "There are few women doing the training, in my class of 25 students there are only two women, including myself. In the office, you don't notice any of that. However, during a few weeks outside I experienced it differently. Certainly not negatively, but outside you notice that it is still special to walk on the construction site as a woman. What do I want to do later with my education? During my internship I found out that the design phase of infrastructure projects appeals to me a lot. I therefore want to do GWW-oriented drawing work later on."