In the complex and aging world of infrastructure, a healthy balance between new talent and experienced experts is crucial to meet market demand. Therefore, INNOCY aims to attract and train more juniors alongside the already existing seniors and mid-level professionals. Pim Bos, Asset Management Advisor and team leader at INNOCY, explains: “We have a lot of specialized knowledge in-house, which is needed for the complex projects we work on. But you also have to think about the future.”
Together with Working Talent, a company specializing in developing traineeships, a tailored program was created. Trainees gain practical domain knowledge while also working on their soft skills. The plan was implemented faster than expected. Teun Wagenaar, recruiter at INNOCY, says: “We set the goal to start once we had at least five candidates, but we quickly had a lot of interested people.”
Great culture
The secret? “Once people get to know us and have spoken with us, they are often immediately enthusiastic, and their interest in becoming part of our company is sparked,” says Pim. While he is surprised by the speed with which Teun found the candidates, he understands that young professionals don’t back out once the initial contact is made. “We are not only a very interesting company with exciting projects, but we also have a great company culture. People are interested in each other and eager to help one another. Trainees feel that too; they know they’re stepping into a warm environment.”
Knowledge transfer
It’s no secret that INNOCY has an immense amount of knowledge in-house, especially for insiders in this sector. Transferring this domain knowledge to the trainees is one of the key focus points of the program. “In addition, at INNOCY, we also find it important that they develop the right soft skills,” says Teun. “The traineeship starts with an intensive introductory month, during which the basic knowledge of the three domains is transferred, and trainees learn how these domains are interconnected. During this month, they also receive some training in the competencies they will need in their work. The trainees are all trained in one of these domains – asset management, safety, or project management – and will eventually work in those areas. However, we train them in such a way that a transition to another domain is always possible.”
A transition that Pim himself also made. “I originally started at this company as an advisor in integrated safety. But I wanted to develop further, and through INNOCY, I was able to pursue a master's in Asset Management.”
Exciting projects
The six trainees all have different backgrounds. After the joint introductory month, they immediately start working with clients such as the City of Amsterdam or ProRail, always under the guidance of a senior colleague. Each month, they come together to share their experiences. They also attend training sessions on communication, advisory skills, and leadership on these “gathering days.” Teun explains: “In their daily work, they grow in their own field and receive intensive guidance from a medior or senior colleague. They also work on their softer competencies. This way, they get everything they need to grow into a mid-level role and/or broaden their skills.”
Do you think, “What a shame I missed out”? Don’t worry, in the future, we will start new programs. Express your interest to Teun at [email protected].
