GKB, designers of outdoor spaces, as they call themselves, is a true family business. The fourth generation is now working at GKB, and they have grown into a large company. They carry out various projects, and GKB Machines products are shipped worldwide. They don't shy away from a challenge and believe in new, innovative possibilities and techniques. To ensure that all 180 employees at GKB continue to grow and develop, the first two weeks of January each year are dedicated to training and courses.
Training weeks at GKB
Maarten van Rietschoten, Head of Administration, HR, and QHSE at GKB, is responsible for training: “Throughout the year, I gather information from employees, project managers, and HR about who needs which training or course. With all that information, I create a schedule and look for training providers who offer courses that are a good fit for us. We're a company with a wide range of activities, from mowing lawns and creating a neighborhood park to constructing sports fields and building bridges. We also have a steel and mechanical engineering department. So, we need a wide variety of training and courses. Most of the earthmoving training courses for GKB are provided by SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen. This also includes the Supervisor training, which 13 employees successfully completed three years ago.”
Collaboration with SOMA Business Training
SOMA Business Training and GKB have enjoyed a long-standing partnership. Maarten: “I think we've been working with SOMA Business Training for over 20 years, even before I started at GKB. The fact that SOMA Business Training is a good fit for us is also due to the account manager. If you connect with them, communication also improves. I have a lot of contact with Esther van 't Zelfde from SOMA Business Training. She's our regular account manager. When I'm looking for a training course, I call her. She knows exactly what we need. I can even indicate if we want to highlight a specific topic within a course, such as extra attention to cables and pipes or communication with other parties. Of course, we also sometimes consider other training providers. A few cheaper training providers have entered the market in the field of earthmoving, but as long as the price-quality ratio and the feeling with SOMA Business Training are good, I'm happy to pay a bit more. Plus, SOMA Business Training always handles everything quickly and efficiently, even when something goes wrong.”
The value of the teacher
And Maarten can also tell you that sometimes things can go wrong. Maarten: "The course's success depends on the instructor. Unfortunately, over the years, we've also had the occasional less-than-positive experience with an instructor. The question then always becomes: why is that? Is it the instructor's fault? Was it a misjudgment by the account manager? Or is there a lack of connection with the group? During the SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen Executive Training, the entire group dropped out of a particular instructor after the second day. I immediately called Esther, and luckily, she was able to quickly find a new instructor."
Techniques and current knowledge
The instructor's commitment, as well as the materials used, are crucial during the lessons. Maarten: "It's crucial that the staff are trained in the latest techniques and knowledge. Measuring and staking, for example, is very important in our work. In the Project Manager training, we learned this with a stake and a wire. Of course, it's important that the staff know the history, but these days we simply have GPS. When I feed that feedback back to SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen, it's quickly incorporated and adapted."
Have 'balls'
What does a good teacher need? Maarten: "For us, a teacher needs to be a good communicator, have up-to-date subject matter knowledge, and have some guts. Especially with our close-knit group of staff, it can be quite challenging for a teacher to teach a lesson. They know each other very well, so they're open and quick to say if they don't like something. Their feedback ranges from what a stubborn idiot to what a great guy!"
In-company or in Harderwijk
At SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen, you can choose between in-company training or on-site training at SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen in Harderwijk. Maarten: "Since we send many employees on a course for two weeks in January, we don't have enough space to offer all the courses in-house. That's why we also send groups of employees to SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen, for example, for the course on lifting with earthmoving machinery. They have all the space and facilities available there, such as earthmoving machinery and a soil bank. It's great that SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen is working with us on the planning during the two weeks of training and offers both in-company and on-site courses."
