Platform on civil engineering, underground infrastructure, energy, construction equipment & construction machinery
Students Aya and Tom tell
For Van den Herik, training young talent is not an afterthought, but a conscious investment in the future of both the profession and the company. For students such as Aya Hamdi and Tom Klop, this means a working environment in which they develop into fully-fledged professionals in a short period of time. The key? Space, variation in the work and above all: learning by doing.
After a detour through studying Mathematical Engineering, Aya eventually found her niche within Civil Engineering at the Hogeschool Rotterdam. “During my first study, I was mostly behind my computer screen and had little contact with others. I was looking for more variety and challenge,” she says. During an open day, she came into contact with her current department head at Van den Herik. “At first I really had nothing to do with hydraulic engineering, but while talking I realized how important water is in the Netherlands and how versatile the field of work is.” A walk-in day ended up being the deciding factor.
Aya now works four days a week as a project engineer and goes to school one day. She likes that combination. “At school you learn the basics, but in practice you really learn how it works.” She works on Rijkswaterstaat's West-Nederland Zuid project, where dredging is taking place in a complex area with thousands of cables and pipes. “I check for the possible presence of unexploded explosives in certain areas or other interfaces that prevent dredging, such as an embankment. I don't conduct explosives testing myself, but I do check through GIS to see if there are any marked locations that pose a risk and as a result dredging is not allowed.”
In a short time, Aya has developed greatly. According to her, this is mainly because of the space she is given. “You can take on different roles within a project and discover what you find interesting. It's also very normal to rotate in another department. This way you not only get to know colleagues better, but you also look at the work from different perspectives.”
That room to develop is no accident, but a conscious choice. Van den Herik is a family business that is large enough to work on major infrastructure projects, but small enough to remain flexible and personal. That combination ensures short lines of communication, an informal working atmosphere and a no-nonsense mentality. Every year, the company supervises about 10 to 15 trainees, several dual students and a traineeship starts in September. Students participate fully in projects and receive intensive guidance from experienced colleagues. “You are really included in the work here and get a lot of feedback,” says Aya.
For Tom, the path to Van den Herik was different. As the third generation within the family, the choice for the industry was quickly made. “My grandfather, father and uncle also work here. I used to go with them to work and heard all the stories at home, so I quickly knew I wanted to go into infra.” During his BBL training MBO middle management officer Infra, he advanced within the company to assistant superintendent. In that role, he now carries a lot of responsibility. “For example, I arrange crane transport, order materials and accommodate subcontractors. I also consult with the work planner on planning.” What he particularly appreciates is the freedom he gets. “You get to do a lot here and discover for yourself what you like. You are not limited to one task, and that makes the work varied.” That broad employability is also evident in the projects he worked on, such as the Selective Withdrawal at the sea lock in IJmuiden, the Juliana Canal in Limburg and the renovation of the Queen Juliana Harbour in Yerseke. “The best project I found was the port of Yerseke, because I was involved in that from start to finish. Then you really see what you put down together.”
For both students, the future is clear. Aya wants to develop further within the company after her studies and continue taking courses. Tom has already taken that step and is employed by Van den Herik.
