Learning in practice

Getting new technicians ready to put their training into practice. We do this in our training centre and in our vocational training facilities. We opened three of these vocational training facilities in 2020 in Waalwijk, Weert and Hoogeveen. New employees can practice their technical skills and improve their safety awareness in these facilities.

Dry-run voltage-free practice

All new technicians start their training at the workbench. As a dry-run, they start working voltage-free. They learn to recognise materials and cables at the workbench, and they practice making connections.

At the customer

New technicians practice real on-the-job situations as much as possible in the training facility. For example, work that is carried out on the meter or main fuse at the customer's home.

Working underground

Working in the meter cabinet and underground is also included in the training. In this way, new technicians can learn how to replace an underground cable in the training facility and make a new end fitting and underground cable joint.

 Mock transformer station

The technicians in training practise repairing public lighting in a mock transformer station. With various measuring equipment, they learn how to detect failures.

Simulating outages

The outage simulation area is located in the back of the facility. All possible outages that technicians can encounter in practice are simulated here. This could concern an outage of public lighting, or a home without voltage. The trainer initiates the outage and the technician in training has to look for the cause.

Practising with 10 kilovolt

In a simulated environment, the new employees practice carrying out switch work on the mid-voltage grid (10 kilovolt).

Types and sizes

Which different types of cables can technicians encounter underground? All types and size are present in the training facility.

Practising above ground

Thanks to special assembly belts, technicians in training can practice work that is carried out underground aboveground. They can practice here, for instance, making connections and connecting cables.