'Go Infra' guest lectures to get young people excited about the industry

Although education in the construction and infra sector is picking up, unfortunately we see that young people are less and less likely to choose an education in civil engineering. This is because they are often not well informed about the professional opportunities and the training that goes with them.

Rob van Dalen, of SPG Zuid-Holland, thought it was time for a change. And so he set up the 'Go Infra' campaign to complement the inflow campaign 'You're going to make it' of Bouwend Nederland. Last year Rob started organizing guest lectures. In the interview below, he is happy to share how he approached this and what his experiences are.

What is the reason you started guest lecturing and how did you go about it?

"The campaign focuses particularly on young people from the upper years of elementary school through the first years of vmbo and mavo. By giving a guest lesson, we want to reach these young people. Thus, we engage them in conversation and ask what they know about infrastructure, what they want to become later and what they absolutely do not want to become. We use examples to show that the construction & infra industry is constantly innovating and digitizing. That because of this the production processes are changing and the work is very challenging. By informing and enthusing young people in this way, we hope that they will eventually choose an education in construction & infrastructure."

By educating and enthusing young people in this way, we hope that they will eventually choose an education toward construction & infrastructure.

How did you come to collaborate with the various companies, schools and guest speakers?

"With our member companies I have talked about the 'Go Infra' campaign and asked for cooperation. It is important to have enough ambassadors willing to give a guest lesson. It is our common concern to promote the influx, as the demand for young people for our construction and infra sector continues to increase in the coming years, despite the problems the sector is currently facing with PFAS, nitrogen and the corona virus.  The conversations with companies were very positive, they see the need and wholeheartedly expressed their willingness to participate in the "Go Infra" campaign. We made sure there was a handbook, so that the companies don't have to do any work themselves. All they have to do is send an ambassador to give a guest lesson. We then wrote to the elementary school in South Holland to see if they were interested in a free guest lesson on construction and infrastructure. This was also very well received and we soon had many applications.

What does a guest lesson look like and what are the reactions like?

"During the guest lesson, the children get to work on their own. The ambassador begins with an interactive part about connections from A to B, or infrastructure. The guest speaker does this by asking, for example, whether the students know how the lights go on or where the water comes from. After the students answer, the speaker explains exactly how this works. The guest speaker also tells something about himself or herself; what profession he or she has, what the workday is like and why working in construction or infra is so much fun. Then they are given an assignment; make a bank connection from A to B based on a sketch design. This may be a bridge or tunnel. The results are often amazing despite their youth. The students often really enjoy the assignment. It gives them a good perception of reality. The teachers are also enthusiastic. The guest lesson fits perfectly with the lessons Nature & Technology and Space. They indicate that they would like to continue using the guest lesson in the future."

What tip do you give to construction and infra companies looking to host guest lectures?

"Look carefully to see if you can cooperate with other parties. Like for example with Bouwend Nederland. They have developed a guest lesson from the 'jegaathetmaken' campaign. Or with us, SGP Zuid-Holland. We too have sought cooperation with Bouwend Nederland. So there are plenty of opportunities and  different guest lectures available". 

You're going to make it

The construction and infrastructure sector is unprecedentedly diverse. It has occupations at all educational levels: from vmbo to wo level. In the campaign Je gaat het Maken we show the many possibilities. To this end, we have developed guest lectures, among other things. Go to jegaathetmaken.nl for more information and initiatives aimed at young people and lateral entrants. Also follow this campaign on Instagram and YouTube.