National trainer for infra

The SOMA College is the national vocational school for infra with the right and necessary mix of practice and theory. "That makes us more than unique," says training manager Hans Smit. The school offers training at MBO level in various fields of infra: machinists, mechanics, craftsmen and pavers, but also executives and surveyors are trained. 

SOMA College is located on an old barracks site with a 13-acre training grounds. In addition to the school building, SOMA College has maintenance halls for practicals with machines. Students can also stay overnight on campus during the week if they have to travel far to take one of the specialized infra courses. In Harderwijk, a number of MBO courses can be followed as BOL, the day training. And a number through BBL training, a training variant in which the student works at a training company and regularly goes to school for theory. 

Taking the Middle Level Land Surveyor course gives students a bright future perspective.

SOMA College provides the most sought-after professionals through challenging and future-oriented education. This is implemented in various ways. Hans Smit: "For example, by setting up work field advisory committees per course, but also more concretely by asking companies to give guest lectures. We regularly check with the training companies where the students do their internships to see whether the education is in line with practice. SOMA is also structurally engaged in deploying hybrid lecturers. As a result, current knowledge from the business world is used and translated into our education and training programs. Hybrid lecturers are therefore an added value for our students as well as our own lecturers." 

SOMA College provides the most sought-after professionals through challenging and future-oriented education.

As far as surveying is concerned, the (replacement) demand for good personnel in the industry is high. Attending the Middle Management Officer Land Surveying course gives students a bright future perspective. Despite the current situation in the industry due to nitrogen and Pfas, SOMA College expects students to be able to start work immediately after graduation. They are prepared for the future because they have learned and worked in school with current developments around geo-ict. "Knowledge in the area of automating data processes and the increasing importance of data exchanges is becoming more and more part of daily work within the industry of infra and/or surveying," Smit states. "That makes the Middle Level Land Surveyor course, for example, also interesting for students with an ICT background."

More information about SOMA College and the Land Surveying program can be found at www.soma-college.nl. There will be an open house on January 18, 2020 where interested parties are welcome between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.