The Netherlands has gained a manufacturing education: the Winfabriek has been established in North-East Brabant. This is a practical training course for a career as a process operator in the manufacturing industry.
The Winfabriek was created following a collaboration between WeCoPe, Nieuwebaan.nl and IBN. "We recently signalled that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the right candidates for the manufacturing industry," said Rick Feldkamp of employment intermediary Nieuwebaan.nl. "More and more knowledge is being demanded from the assignment side and, vice versa, candidates no longer feel like a lengthy theoretical education. The people currently still working in the manufacturing industry are mostly 50-plus or Eastern European, target groups that will disappear from the labour market in the coming years. Thus, in time there will be a shortage of well-trained staff."
Facilities
Last year, Feldkamp came into contact with a number of consultants who happened to have a lot of knowledge about the manufacturing industry, including in the field of lean and process improvements. "Moreover, they visited a lot of places and thus also knew what was needed. Together, we had the idea of the Win Factory on paper pretty quickly. Then came the practical challenge. We wanted to set up a pragmatic training programme; learning on the shop floor and actually standing at the machines. Of course, you need a lot of facilities for that. The aim was to set up a mini-factory in a large production hall. We therefore looked for a partner who believed in our idea and wanted to enter into a cooperation."
In October, they came into contact with IBN, also a labour intermediary but one with a large manufacturing company of its own. Meanwhile, the 300m2 training hall (in Oss, ed.) is being converted into a complete production line and the first training will start at the end of this month. The Win Factory is viewed with confidence in the surrounding area; among other things, it received a grant from the province of North Brabant and an investment from the Power of New Business Oss.
Willingness to learn
The training stands out in particular because of the selection procedure that precedes it. Feldkamp: "In it, the person is paramount. We look not so much at someone's basic competences and knowledge, but more at their willingness to learn and whether they have the skills to be able to learn." Candidates start with intake interviews with a recruiter and then a teacher. If those interviews are positive, the candidate joins an internal group of eight to 10 people and behavioural exercises, among others, are carried out. On this basis, a personal development plan is drawn up and only then can a person start training.
The Winfabriek is not only looking for 'traditional' manufacturing employees. "We also focus on entrants or retrainers and people who come from a completely different field. For example, think of ladies in their early 40s who have been sitting at home for a few years, are eager to get back to work but have somewhat neglected their last education. We also look at more than just the process side; we also highlight administrative, financial and marketing positions."
Boosting the image
Enrolments for the course are not yet brimming, but there is a reason for this. "We made the agreement that both Nieuwebaan.nl and IBN first supply candidates themselves. IBN employs 4,200 people so of course there are potential candidates among them. With the first group we can find out what teething problems there still are. From next week we will start social media campaigns and we will publicise the training more widely." In doing so, Feldkamp also hopes to do something about the negative image the manufacturing industry has acquired in recent years. "People still think it is about working in a boring factory, where you get your hands dirty. We want to show, including with videos, that there are many more opportunities within the manufacturing industry."
Of course, new techniques such as 3D printing and robotisation will not be missing. "Inside the mini-factory in Oss is an 'experience room' in which we have created a world of possibilities. There, we present the factory of the future in all kinds of ways, especially also digitally. There it becomes clear that nowadays you also need to have knowledge of innovative equipment."
The training has three levels: basic, operator A and operator B. The distinguishing factor therein is the degree of independent work. "The basic is a course that allows you to start working in process engineering. But in the background, there are already plans to extend the training to other areas, such as logistics. But let's start at the beginning first."
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: the Win Factory
