Learning and doing: enough challenge and development
In September intern Sam Pince van der Aa walked onto the construction site of Ballast Nedam West. It seems like he's been there for years, he’s that relaxed. The good connection with site manager Koen Ravensbergen certainly contributes to this.
Sam is in the third year of his bachelor's degree in Building Engineering (Bouwkunde) at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and is doing an internship at the Willem de Zwijgerlaan project in Leiden. Koen is the site manager of this project and, in addition, is following the one-year course Site Manager B&U at BOB-KOB in Nieuwegein.
'A little over five years. First as an assistant site manager, and for the past two years, I have been a site manager. Just like Sam, I started as an intern, during my MBO studies in Building Engineering. At the time, Ballast Nedam West was carrying out the Yours housing project next to my school, so I asked if I could do my internship. Fortunately, they agreed. The funny thing is that I now live in a home from the Yours project myself! In the end, I liked my internship so much that I ended up sticking around at Ballast Nedam West.'
'I worked in my father's roofing and plumbing business for a year in 2021, so I already knew the renovation side. That's why I wanted to go more in the prefab direction during my internship. During the internship fair at my school, I came into contact with Ballast Nedam West. That's how I heard about the prefab project Willem de Zwijgerlaan. That sounded good to me. I am very happy that I am doing an internship here, because I feel completely at home in the team with Koen and my internship supervisor. And they really expect a lot from me. So it's not like I'm just making coffee as an intern.'
Koen, are there enough opportunities for development within Ballast Nedam?
'Yes, Ballast Nedam challenges you to keep developing yourself. As an intern, but certainly also as an employee. For example, you can follow all kinds of training and courses alongside your work. I think that's a nicer way of learning than going to school full-time. Soon I will complete my training as a Site Manager B&U Groot (large-scale building and construction) at BOB-KOB. Everything I learn there, I can immediately put into practice. Very useful. And next year I'm probably going to do the Site Manager B&U Allround course, to dive a bit deeper into large construction projects. Together with HR and my supervisor, we regularly discuss what I would still like to learn or do. I really like that.'
Koen: ‘Definitely, Sam is very enthusiastic and holds his own on the construction site. That is very important. We work seriously, but we also have plenty of time for a joke.’ Sam: ‘Yes, the atmosphere among colleagues is just great. At first, I was a bit afraid that at such a big company you’d just be a number, but it’s not like that at all. I think it's great to see that Koen and other colleagues really care about the company. Of course, that also says something about Ballast Nedam.’
What does a site manager actually do?
Koen: ‘One moment I'm inspecting foundations and walls, and the next, I'm doing a round of inspections on the construction site and directing the guys there. Safety is our top priority. Everyone needs to get home safely and in good health at the end of the day.’ Sam: ‘As an intern, I’m glad to have so much freedom and responsibility. It really lets me experience what it's like to work as a site manager. Will I stay on after my internship? I'm really enjoying it here, so who knows—I might happily come back once I've finished my studies!’
Are you also interested in working at Ballast Nedam?
At Ballast Nedam, you can develop and become a little better every day. In the Netherlands and abroad. Together with almost 2,000 colleagues, we are committed to a future-proof living environment. Will you join our team to contribute to this?
