5 years Test & Training Center
At the end of 2018, I was asked if I was interested in setting up a new welding school for testing candidates coming to the Netherlands. The timing of this career switch was perfect for me, and so March 2, 2019, became my first working day at Covebo, with the task of building something new. In March 2024, the welding school will be five years old, and this seems like a suitable moment to look back on what we have achieved during that time.
The first challenge was finding a suitable space, which proved not to be an easy task. As a solution, we contacted the existing welding school in Nieuwegein to temporarily rent space there until we found a permanent location. Ultimately, we spent almost five years in Nieuwegein, where we had all the necessary space and welding machines to test and train our welders. After five years, however, we felt it was time to build our own Covebo welding school, which we have now realized in Nijkerk.
Overview of welding practice in Nijkerk
On March 13, 2019, the time had come, and I conducted my first test. The candidate was tested on MAG and TIG welding, and I recorded the results in a simple Word document with some photos. The first year was mainly about discovering the best testing methods. To find out, we started visiting companies to discuss what they expect from a welder.
The first welder in March 2019
These company visits proved successful. They gave us insight into the diverse needs of customers and show that we do everything to provide suitable candidates. By now, we have visited more than 150 companies and know exactly how to conduct the best test for each company. Companies such as SIF or Breman, which have very high requirements for welders and where the welders also need to be certified. Or Alutech, for which we have set up a special TIG aluminum test and training because they also expect high quality from the welders. In short, everything is possible.
Consultation at the customer
In the first year, we had 41 testers, but the following years showed clear growth. In 2023 alone, we visited 50 companies and tested welders approximately 280 times, and trained them if necessary.
Number of tests and trainings per year
The growth is not only in the number of testers but especially in the diversity of testing methods. In March, we started with a simple welding test, but this has expanded to various tests to meet all customer needs. This includes different methods of MAG welding, assembling workpieces, reading drawings, pipe welding and fitting, ironworking, training in MAG or TIG, and so on.
Pipe fitter at work
To keep up with this growth, we started a second welding school in Eindhoven in 2022 with Armin Smits as the welding instructor who can test the guys one day a week there. Armin has a lot of practical experience and theoretical knowledge about welding, which is useful for testing but especially for training the guys, which he is very good at.
Armin conducting tests
There is also increasing use of workshops on welding for our (mostly) new colleagues. These workshops explain everything about welding and what the welding school does, followed by practical TIG and MAG welding. It's always good to have a basic knowledge of welding when you visit customers or recruit welders. To ensure the theory is not forgotten, everyone receives the well-known "Covebo welding App" to review all the welding theory again.
New place for our workshop
In 2024, we will start with our own Covebo welding school in Nijkerk, where we have arranged everything so that we can properly carry out all the previously mentioned tests and training.
After five years, we have come a long way, but there are still plenty of ideas and plans to make great strides in the next five years.