Daan started about 5 years ago as a temporary worker in the final assembly department of Vostermans Ventilation. His desire to develop himself proved to be a valuable combination with the ambitions of Vostermans Companies.
"After high school I joined the army. But that was not my future. Through a temporary employment agency I ended up at Vostermans Ventilation in the final assembly department. That was fine for the moment, but I soon realized that I wanted more. My contract was converted into an employment contract and, in consultation with my then department manager, I got a chance to work as a machine operator in the winding department, where we produce stators. This suited me better, but of course I still lacked a good technical background. That is why I suggested that I do the VAPRO course. A two-year course that gives you a good foundation for your work as an operator.
Although it is sometimes difficult to be in school while working, Vostermans gave me a lot of space to develop. I was regularly supported by an internal mentor. I felt like a fish out of water until they asked me if I could help out for 4 weeks as a machine operator in the aluminium foundry. It was a big change, going from sophisticated technology in a clean environment to heavy industry. An environment that turned out to be even better for me as a person. The technology here is much heavier and you can get on with it. And you could see that. When my four weeks were up, the general manager of Vostermans Alu Foundries asked me if I wanted to stay. And so I moved from Ventilation B.V. to Alu Foundries B.V. within Vostermans.
That is why Vostermans is a good employer for me. The work within the organization is very varied. And if you want to take steps yourself, the organization is willing to invest in you and think along with you. Despite the size of the company, I still feel that we are a close-knit team. You can see that, for example, at times when extra work needs to be done. Of course, there are some grumblings, but then many colleagues put their shoulders to the wheel to help the company move forward. We do it together.
I now work in the tool shop as a technical service technician. It is a versatile job where I can still learn a lot. My direct colleagues Wim and Peter, with 47 and 41 years of experience in our foundry, are real old hands. They are gradually teaching me everything I need to know about maintaining the dies. At the moment, it is mainly a matter of making adjustments and minor repairs. Soon they will teach me how to weld and use the milling machine. The fact that we have these materials in-house to perform this type of maintenance makes my job versatile and varied. But to replace 88 years of work experience, I still have a lot to learn at Vostermans.
