AMSTERDAM, August 31, 2021 — There’s an increasing demand for technically trained personnel in the Netherlands and other European countries; especially welders, construction mechanics, architects, and electricians. Due in part to the energy transition, the technical sectors in the Netherlands are short of tens of thousands of skilled people. For the ROC van Amsterdam and the Keizer Karel College (KKC) in Amstelveen, the focus is on technology, and young people at both institutions come into contact with it at an early age. 

In order to help young students learn more about the future of mobility, Boelens de Gruyter and EVBox are donating 18 EV charging ports to two schools in the Netherlands.

The ROC MBO College Westpoort has a curriculum dedicated to teaching students about all kinds of technology, including mobility technology, while the KKC is a secondary school that features a so-called ‘technasium’.

This is the first time that students and teachers at both schools have been given the opportunity to work with charging stations. This introduction to EV charging infrastructure will prepare the students for the mobility’s electric future while encouraging them to learn more about this topic.

Boelens de Gruyter is a real estate company aiming to develop efficient solutions for sustainability challenges. Because of the redevelopment of the building at Nachtwachtlaan 20 in Amsterdam, Boelens de Gruyter commissioned the removal of the charging ports on-site to make room for a new generation of stations as a result of the recent technical developments.

Since the charging ports remain fully functional, they have been given a second life and are now being used to help educate the next generation of technicians and mobility professionals. One of EVBox installation partners, Laadpunt Nederland, was responsible for uninstalling, delivering, and reinstalling the charging ports needed for both technical schools. 

Like many other industry players, Laadpunt Nederland is also unable to escape the shortage of well-trained technical personnel. To help alleviate this problem, Laadpunt Nederland is offering internships to help ease the transition to the job market for young aspiring professionals and technically oriented students.

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