Technical Solutions
When the labour market shortage hit record levels in 2022, Adrie decided to make a career change after five and a half years as a mechanic. Through his stepbrother he came into contact with Wiertz Technical Solutions and, after just a few months, he now feels completely at home at Century Vlissingen. Although he has only just started, Adrie is already looking ahead: “I know I can keep developing myself.”
“When it became clear last year that there was so much demand for workers in the fields I was interested in, I started exploring a new career path,” Adrie explains. “At that time, I had been working for five and a half years as a truck mechanic, but I felt it was time for something new. I had the feeling I’d stopped learning and couldn’t really progress any further. And as a 22-year-old, that’s not what you want. So I started looking for other opportunities that might suit me better. That’s when I started talking to my stepbrother. He had been working as an operator through Wiertz Technical Solutions for a while and always came home with enthusiastic stories. So I already had a pretty good idea of what the work of an operator was like. A similar role appealed to me, so that’s how my search began.”
Turning to an agency for the first time
Adrie reached out to De Pooter. “It was the first time I had ever gone to an agency for my next career move, and it turned out to be a very relaxed experience. The conversation wasn’t just about work, but about me as a person. There was no formal or businesslike atmosphere at all. They really gave me the impression that they were there to help me find a better, more enjoyable job. There was none of that standard handshake with a ‘we’ll be in touch’ message – luckily, that didn’t happen at De Pooter.”
Making a conscious choice
During the search for his next step, Adrie’s personal preferences were given a lot of attention. “They really took their time with me and actively searched for the right match. They thought carefully about what opportunities would suit me: Where could I fit in? What would I enjoy? They explained what a career switch really involves – what impact it would have financially, and what it would mean for my future. After that, I had time to look into different options and make a well-informed decision. I gave them my preferences, and they really took everything I shared into account!”
Learning…
Since last September, Adrie has been working and learning as a trainee operator at Century Vlissingen, a publicly listed company that produces aluminium and employs more than 2,000 people worldwide. “I’m following an accelerated training program. That means they’re training me on the job to become an operator, while I also take online classes. There’s an online platform where you can ask questions to a teacher and where we have Teams meetings. In addition, every two months I have a meeting with my teacher and practical supervisor to dive deeper into the situations I encounter at work. That practical approach really suits me. Five days of school a week would be way too much for me.”
… and working
At work, Adrie quickly felt at home. “At Century we work in a five-shift schedule: two mornings, two afternoons, two nights, and then four days off. It took some getting used to at first. But once you find your rhythm and plan your days before the night shifts, it all works out just fine.”
Challenge
As an operator, Adrie clearly experiences more challenges than in his previous job: “There’s a lot more thinking involved. You try to improve something and immediately see the effect in the statistics. It’s rewarding to see that what you do really makes a difference. Plus, I get a lot of freedom and responsibility at Century. Very little is outsourced; most things are handled in-house. If something breaks, you’re trusted to fix it yourself rather than calling someone else in. That way you’re trained very broadly – the technical department and operators here really understand everything.”
The benefits
“With my new job, I’ve definitely taken a step forward. First of all, financially. I still live at home, but eventually I want to find a place of my own – and now that’s much easier. There are also better financial prospects for the future, which is a great outlook.” Adrie adds with a smile: “And I now live only seven and a half minutes from work – ideal!”
Five years from now
“Especially for someone with a technical background, the future is wide open. You can keep developing yourself and there are so many opportunities to broaden your knowledge. At Century I’m already given the freedom and encouraged to be curious, which allows me to dive deeper into all kinds of things.” Adrie looks forward to the future with enthusiasm: “First, my goal is to finish my operator training in July. After that, I want to see what opportunities there are within Century: where they need people and where I can make a difference. There are more than enough options!”
Get out there!
What’s Adrie’s golden tip for anyone considering a career switch? Take your search for a new role seriously. “Through Wiertz Technical Solutions I was presented with several options. It’s tempting to just look at the numbers, but it’s also important that you feel you belong. I tried to imagine myself at each company: would I fit in there? Do your research, check out their website – you’ll quickly get a sense of whether you can picture yourself working there. It also helped that Wiertz Technical Solutions gave me great advice. There are plenty of opportunities, so don’t just go for the first offer that comes along. Get out there and explore if you’re ready to make a switch!”
