Press release: Civil Engineering and Cable Worker training CKB-approved

What challenges does this bring?
The most discussed topic in trade journals, at trade fairs, and in the media is the upcoming energy transition. We need to transition away from natural gas and look for new energy sources. The Dutch government is encouraging investments in solar panels, heat pumps, and the like. However, a topic that receives less attention is the infrastructure we normally don't see: all the cables and pipes below ground level. Demand from clients increasingly doesn't match your maximum capacity as a contractor. Besides removing/replacing old pipes, it's a huge task to invisibly prepare the Netherlands for the energy transition. There are sufficient prospects for (new) employees to secure a job with a steady income for the next twenty years. The differences between incoming and outgoing employees pose a significant challenge.

Several industry associations are actively running recruitment campaigns aimed at increasing the influx of young people into the sector. SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen supports these initiatives, as clients, contractors, and training institutions are jointly responsible for the influx and continuity of the sector. Nevertheless, it is essential to take action quickly to ensure that (new) employees can be deployed quickly. Therefore, SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen has invested in updating the cable worker training program over the past year. Effective April 1, 2018, the cable worker training program has been certified in accordance with the CKB guidelines for the positions of cable worker and assistant low-voltage fitter. SOMA Bedrijfsopleidingen has designed the program in such a way that certification is possible after nine months.