Supply chain specialist ECS is actively committed to lowering the barrier to the logistics sector for newcomers. This is necessary, because now that the economy is running at full speed again, the logistics sector is diligently looking for skilled workers. These are difficult to find, partly because many people do not dare to take the step to the sector. However, a specific diploma or years of experience are not necessary to get started in this transport world that is constantly on the move. 28-year-old Rob Van Dijk also experienced this.
In Venlo, there is a great demand for skilled personnel in the logistics sector due to the high concentration of logistics and transport companies that all focus on the same profiles. Fortunately, more and more people from other sectors are discovering the benefits of working in logistics, and supply chain specialist ECS is actively committed to keeping the entry barrier as low as possible for them. With an entry day as the first introduction to the company, support from colleagues and the possibility to follow internal training courses, ECS wants to put itself on the map as a logistics player where mentality and skills are at least as important as experience.
One of the newest additions to the team is Rob Van Dijk. He traded a career in healthcare for logistics. After seven years as a supervisor and care coordinator in care homes in Limburg and Brabant, he needed a new challenge. A clear work schedule without irregular hours and working in a team without a chronic staff shortage were on his wish list. Through a friend he discovered an open vacancy at ECS. “I was particularly interested in the vacancy because no experienced employees were being sought,” recalls Rob. “People are given the space to grow in their position, and that really appealed to me. My colleagues also set aside a lot of time to familiarize me with the job. That made the start feel very good.”
Follow-up day
After an introductory meeting, Rob spent a day in the company, a tip that he gives everyone who gets the chance to do so. “That way you quickly get to know some colleagues and you get a taste of the atmosphere. The internship day gave me clarity about the job content and confirmed my good impression that I had after the introductory meeting. My early fatherhood was also taken into account. That's why I didn't hesitate to start at ECS.”
Since the end of December, as an assistant transport planner, Rob has been jointly responsible for transports coming from Romania. He maintains local contacts, follows orders and loads, solves any problems and passes on information to the regular planners. His experience in healthcare has already come in handy. “I don't have a 9-to-5 mentality and I am flexible in an emergency to work longer, although that is rarely necessary. In addition, I have a lot of social experience and I do not panic easily when it gets busy. My preconceptions about long, hectic working days in logistics turned out to be wrong.”
Investing in local employeesAfter the construction of a new office building in 2017, the number of ECS employees in Venlo grew from 35 to 60 people. As the Eastern European market is expected to grow further, ECS is currently looking for additional employees for customer service and planning. “As a family business, we want to offer security and stability to our employees,” emphasizes CEO Pieter Balcaen. “That's why we don't work with fixed-term contracts, but choose to invest in people from the neighborhood for a long time. Rob is a good example of that.”