In two weeks Lucas Achterhoek (19) and Dani Sancho (19) will receive the key to their new apartment. Own living room, bedroom, kitchenette and a brand new bathroom. Craftsmanship, if you ask them, because they built their house themselves.
The two are apprentice carpenters at VDR Bouwgroep. This company from Deventer is known for building large distribution centers, such as that of Wehkamp in Zwolle. But for the past two years, VDR Bouwgroep has also been realizing smaller projects in the region where students can practice their skills, such as the renovation of a retail building into eight apartments.
An idea from Peter Meerman of VDR BouwTalent, the new training company within VDR. “We have a shortage of 30,000 people in construction. Meanwhile, the sector is ageing. As a company, we wanted to do something regarding that,” he says.
Practice skills in practice
ING economist Maurice van Sante, who specializes in Dutch construction, thinks it is creative. “This company looks at what people need and offers it. Smart. Although not every company will be able to replicate this,” he says. According to the economist, staff shortages in construction are a structural problem. “Between 15 and 20 percent of construction companies are hindered in their work due to a shortage of employees.”
That is why young people – they may also be lateral entrants – are more than welcome in Deventer. Meerman: “Our students go to school one day a week, the other four days they have to practice their skills in practice, with the guidance of experienced colleagues”.
In total, they have to master 32 skills, from laying a floor to making a roof construction, to be able to call themselves a carpenter. The training lasts four years in total. “After the first two years they are basic carpenters and following the last two years they can call themselves all-round carpenters.”
Occupation with high job security
Lucas Achterhoek and Dani Sancho don’t get the apartments for free, but they also don’t pay what rent would be on the free market. One of them has been looking for an affordable home for two years now. “The rent starts at 450 euros and then they have a full apartment,” explains Meerman. “They simply get a rental contract, just like with a housing corporation, and therefore also rent protection.”
They are also not obliged to continue working at VDR, although they are offered a job. “We see this training program as a success if two or three of the ten students eventually choose our company,” says Meerman.
Van Sante notes that more and more young people are slowly opting for an education that prepares them for construction. “A sector with high job security,” he says. “Because of the energy transition – think of better insulating houses – and the high demand for homes, more people will only be needed in the future.”
Viral on TikTok
“This is the perfect start to the lives of these young people,” says Meerman. “We did tell them that we expect them to look for another home following a few years, so that we can also offer a home to new starters on the labor market. But we can’t force them to leave.”
There is currently quite a bit of attention for this way of working. NOS Stories, the youth branch of NOS, made a video regarding the company and posted it on TikTok. It has now been viewed 820,000 times. Meerman is called flat for interviews, he says.
“We are not used to this attention at all, dude. Builders are usually quite down-to-earth people, they don’t flaunt their work. We don’t even have Instagram and TikTok and now we’re suddenly going viral. It’s crazy, but fun.”
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