Technical companies should collaborate more often with schools in their region. Chris van Bokkum, director of TechniekTalent.nu, made an urgent appeal for this in the Financieel Dagblad.
Winning souls
This call did not come out of the blue, of course. We need a lot more techies. Tens of thousands more every year to solve the huge shortage. And although I feel that enthusiasm for engineering is growing, there are still many souls to be won. Van Bokkum advocates inviting schoolchildren into the workplace and letting them smell, see, feel and experience engineering.
Pull out all the stops
We do the same at Hitma. Every year, we receive HAVO students from the third form of Alkwin Kollege (Uithoorn) as part of their profile-selection programme. With a varied programme, we try to give them a push in the right direction in the field of science and technology. To this end, we pull out all the stops. From pink cakes to guided tours by our best storytellers.
Quiz
I usually kick off with a game in which I incorporate information about our company. I also show the students that technology is everywhere and what advantages a technical job offers (job security, good salary, variety, challenge).
Next, our specialists present what we can all measure and control in an industrial process. After the explanation, we ask questions about this using a Kahoot quiz. This will immediately show who has been paying attention.
Guided tour
The highlight of the afternoon was the tour by our service manager. If there is anyone who can make you see, smell, feel and experience technology, it is him. From dirty hands technology like oil filtration, applications of our products in the process industry (food, beverages, chemicals), ultra-clean solutions for the (bio)pharmaceutical industry to safety in operating theatres. He lets the students smell gas and then demonstrates how a gas detector works. Explains how pressure differences between rooms keep out dirty air and how to filter cloudy apple juice into a clear, still tasty, drink.
Mission accomplished
I heard from a colleague that his neighbour's boy was with us the last time during the excursion. He had really learned something from it and now definitely sees future opportunities in engineering. That's nice to hear. Assuming we only managed to convince one pupil, for us the mission was successful after all.
Do you also want to let young people experience the versatility of engineering and introduce them to passionate techies? Do it right away! On gastlessonsenzogeregeld.nu you will find useful tips to organise such a company visit.
