the technical staff challenge
“The shortage is huge, the working conditions on offer are increasingly unrealistic and English on the shop floor is the future. Only with employees from abroad do we still get the work done,” says Jeroen Smit of TES Industrial Systems in Beverwijk.
TES Industrial Systems Beverwijk develops and manufactures sustainable industrial drive concepts and industrial automation solutions. They contribute to making industry more sustainable by, among other things, using ultracaps that are used in various industrial and maritime cranes. These caps ensure that motion energy is stored and returned to the electrical system at peak load of the crane. This creates a hybrid system that saves energy and fuel, reduces CO2 and nitrogen emissions and thus contributes to the sustainability of the business process but also extends the ‘lifecycle’ of these capital-intensive installations.
motivation is the most important thing
With the huge shortage of technical staff, he fears the energy transition will not be met. For this reason, TES Industrial Systems joined Techport a few years ago. “We are all fishing in the same pond. It is time to broaden our horizons and broaden our view on recruiting technical staff. For our company now, if you have MBO level 2 working and thinking level, you are welcome. People must be 100% motivated. Technical knowledge is 50%, the rest we can teach you. ”
Photo by Gerald de Bruin: Participants of the Technique Garden are explained what TES Industrial Systems does in Beverwijk. Second from the right is Jeroen Smit.
bringing technology to life
Jeroen Smit is a techie at heart. He started as an apprentice mechanic and progressed to branch manager. “The great thing about electrical engineering is that it is essential. You can't see it on the outside, but an installation only starts to live and move when the wiring and connection to the electricity network are in place. That's what we do and I love it.”
He continues, “We work for big industry and that makes it harder to recruit staff because you are dealing with more complex installations. I see the technology changing, but not the engineering. Pulling a cable remains pulling a cable, but the installations are getting more complex. That makes the work more challenging. You have to be a jack of all trades and have broad technical knowledge.”
Companies do, and should also do all sorts of things, to bring in and retain people. The techie is the millionaire of the future.
Jeroen Smit - TES Industrial Systems
how techport is helping with the workforce challenge
“We are constantly looking for good technicians. Right now, we are mainly looking for cooperating foremen and mechanics. Both are scarce,” Jeroen says. “We try all kinds of things to attract new people. We work together with employment agencies, recruit via LinkedIn, via werkt.nl, via UWV, we are at internship markets. We even put up roadside billboards. If the employment agency suggests a candidate, we have to respond immediately. If you respond two hours later, the candidate is gone. The working conditions for technical staff are now unrealistic.”
Together with Techport, TES Industrial Systems is trying to get people excited about working in IJmond engineering. “Since April, we have been participating in a new pilot, the Technique Garden IJmond. In this project, people who are currently out of work will first spend six weeks getting an orientation on different engineering fields. They take classes to find out what suits them and then go on a six-week internship. Everyone is welcome to join this pilot, but the focus is on non-workers. That is a very new target group for us, but we are open to it. What I have seen of them so far has pleasantly surprised me. They are very motivated and enthusiastic people, so we hope there are candidates among them who want to work with us and with whom it matches. We will welcome them with open arms.”