Jeffrey Groen is proud. And rightly so. He is the first engineer to complete the newly-developed learning pathway. He has attained the MBO-3 diploma in 'First engineer data distribution'. "I was a junior engineer and wanted to progress to mid-level. My team leader pointed me to the new pathway. It was a fantastic opportunity! I got several exemptions because of my experience and the training I did at VodafoneZiggo. I was able to take the other subjects, such as Dutch and maths, through self-study. The diploma is a great start to my new role as a mid-level engineer. And a springboard to further development."
Impressed
“An MBO programme that is tailored to our engineers has been something we’ve wished for for some time," says José Knijn of VodafoneZiggo's COPS Academy. "It helps us bind employees to our company. For them, it is an attractive way to develop in a short period of time and increase their career opportunities. We were very keen on the Working Learning Academy's concept of enabling people to attain a diploma on the job. They recommended MBO Amersfoort. That turned out to be the right partner to realise our wish."
According to educationalist Han Wilhelm of MBO Amersfoort, things clicked immediately. "VodafoneZiggo invited us to their TEC Campus in Amsterdam. I was very impressed with how they train staff there. An entire home is rigged with technical gadgets. Engineers learn to detect and resolve malfunctions. Very hands-on, exactly the way we like to go about it as an MBO too."
New teaching material
Every MBO programme in the Netherlands has a qualification dossier. This sets out the requirements a student must meet in order to attain the diploma. Han and José compared those requirements with what engineers learn in COPS Academy training courses. "They already acquire most of the professional competences and skills there," says Han. "Only Dutch, maths, career and citizenship and the elective subjects were missing." José adds: "The COPS Academy has created new teaching materials for both career and citizenship and for the optional subjects that align with the work at VodafoneZiggo."
Lifelong development
In addition, MBO Amersfoort developed a final oral test for the course. This will be administered by a COPS Academy staff member and a teacher from MBO Amersfoort. Han: "With that, the process was complete. Since then it has also been accredited by our examination board." José is happy with it. "It is still a pilot. Jeffrey is the first to complete the course, with four more engineers starting soon. After that, we’ll evaluate. In any case, the partnership with MBO Amersfoort suits us well."
Han is also very appreciative of the partnership. "As far as I am concerned, we are looking at a follow-up pathway for an MBO-4 course. Having a diploma means that employees increase not only their knowledge, but also their chances in the labour market. It is wonderful that we can help companies and their employees with tailor-made programmes for lifelong development."
