Refugees who want to work in construction can go to a special building education for the first time. Bouwbedrijf Heijmans from Rosmalen and Koning Willem I College have developed a course together, especially for people with a residence permit. A first in the Netherlands. The first group of status holders is now working and starts training after the summer.
It is the first time that there is such a training in the Netherlands. Participants gain practical experience at the construction site and learn the theory at the ROC. They also receive language lessons, cultural orientation and coaching. In this way they not only start working in construction, but they also learn to communicate with colleagues and they receive support in the switch from benefits to work.
Kemal Temel is one of the participants. He fled from Turkey four years ago, where he studied economics. He has since been working for a year in the HR department at Heijmans. “I started as a newcomers coordinator and after six months I was also allowed to do the coordination of the trainees. I keep track of administrative matters, receive the CVs, sit at HR and do recruitment. I am really happy with my position. It is in line with what I did in Turkey and I really like it here.”
“This training helps people with a place in society.”
Many status holders have a technical background and work experience, which they like to use at Heijmans. “If you really give people a chance, you see how much talent is in a new beginning,” says HR director Agnes Jongkind of Heijmans. “This training not only helps these people to a job, but also to a place in our society.”
The training is now still exclusive for status holders who start at Heijmans. The organizations want to expand that further in the future, because almost every municipality is looking for solutions to integrate status holders.
A new group of participants starts three times a year. The first group starts on September 24.