Lennard Allround Cleanroom Mechanic

‘I like to work with my hands. That's why I once chose a vmbo education in metalworking. Through an internship I ended up at VDL. There I took another MBO course in machining, which is material processing. But I soon found out that most of this work was automated. I wasn't interested in that at all, because I wanted to work with my hands. VDL gave me the opportunity to discover what suited me.'

'I was allowed to take a look at various departments and companies. During that time I learned a lot from my colleagues. When I was able to watch my colleagues in the cleanroom, I immediately found it very interesting. There, we see products from the aerospace, medical and semiconductor industries. Very high-tech. They are products with impact. In the cleanroom, we clean, assemble and check for quality, and we package. We hardly ever get the same order twice, so you can't just check off a list. You have to be there with your head, otherwise things will go wrong. That makes the work very challenging.’

Working together

‘I have now been working at VDL for 12 years and still get the chance to develop further every day. For example, I look at work instructions with work preparation. Together we see a lot more. We ensure that the design is made as well as possible. And we use each other's knowledge and experience to improve quality even further. We continue to innovate, also in how we glue, for instance. That is an essential connection, just like welding. The fact that my colleagues know where to find me and trust my knowledge makes me quite proud. I believe that innovation is our shared strength. For example, we also developed a component for a machine for the chip industry. A super complex product. Together with colleagues, we then achieved a very special and beautiful result.’

Sharing knowledge

‘We keep improving our way of working and our products. Personally, I think that is super important. But that is only possible with the right knowledge. I notice that this knowledge is growing among colleagues, among all of us. VDL invests a lot in this. Suppose I suddenly want to do something completely different, I am sure there is room to talk about it and discover new possibilities. Initiatives to follow training, education or studies are welcomed with open arms. We like to keep the knowledge in-house. Because of the ageing population, it is certainly also important to share any knowledge you have. The work is not individualistic, you really do it together. I learn from my colleagues and they learn from me. Together, we get the most out of what we deliver.’