Machinist training opens gateway to job for life

An aging population, dejuvenation and the exodus within vocational training are leading to a major shortage of qualified crane and shovel operators in GWW country. FID employment agency has the right answer ready to effectively close this gap. Working closely with four regional training centers, the organization offers a 10-week machinist training program at two specially equipped locations. "By getting young people excited about the trade, we are meeting a growing need for machinists and turning childhood dreams into a beautiful reality," said manager of commerce Joris Levering.

Under the motto "Flexzekerheid", FID temporary employment agency has been successfully building its business from seven offices throughout the Netherlands for some 26 years. Primarily by mediating drivers, operators and people with green fingers and golden hands for a job in the GWW, waste/recycling/environmental sector, the green sector, production, industry, engineering and logistics. A second activity involves offering a diverse range of training within these branches. One of these is crane or shovel operator training. "With this initiative launched in 2017, we are meeting a need on both the employee and employer side," believes Levering, ultimately responsible for commercial and operational affairs within FID. "On the one hand, companies are crying out for new recruits, for example on the fiber optic front. At the same time, you see a decline in ambition among young people to make the step up to machinist within the sector. While it is a wonderful profession. With great job security, an attractive salary and plenty of career opportunities. Moreover, the work is not physically demanding at all. You can retire fairly easily and in good health." 

Experience revived

The benefits cited by Levering are central to enthusing aspiring machinists. A look to the past is not lacking in that regard. "Just about every boy used to play with cranes and shovels in the sandbox. We try to bring back that experience during the training. By enthusing boys - and fortunately also more and more girls - in school for additional training as an operator, we make childhood dreams come true. In agricultural training centers, for example, one often learns to drive a tractor, but not a crane or shovel. When someone then enters the job market with a diploma, there is often a gap between what a contractor asks for and the knowledge they have acquired. That is what we have addressed with this training. And we do it well, as evidenced by the results and the big smiles with which our students sit behind the wheel of a crane or shovel during training." 

No standard

With about five different machinist courses, there is something for every taste. There is no standard approach at FID. Mini crane, midi-crane, regular, mobile or shovel: the employment agency offers training for every type of equipment. For the industry itself and for young people. Divided over two weeks, each student follows an eighty-hour practical training course at one of the two fully enclosed practice areas in Oosterhout or Emmen. Customization for the next workplace is also possible. In addition, theory on the operation of the equipment used is also covered in detail. "This is followed by eight weeks of internship," concludes Levering. "A process in which our trainers keep their finger on the pulse through regular coaching visits. We go for quality and leave nothing to chance."