'I gained a lot of confidence straight away'
A bit of technology and, above all, a lot of organising. That's how Tom van der Weide describes his job at Twence. He is training to be a fire alarm systems manager.
Discover what you enjoy doing
"I had already been working at another company for fifteen years as an operator and work planner when I saw a vacancy for a trainee at Twence. A traineeship where you get to work in different departments of the organisation and in doing so, can find out what you enjoy doing and what you're good at. That appealed to me."
You are given responsibility
Tom started working in the technical department at the beginning of 2021. Now he is learning all about the management of the fire alarm systems. "This year Johan, my colleague who is in charge of the fire alarm systems, is retiring. He is teaching me everything I need to know about the thousands of hand-held and ceiling-mounted fire alarms, the loop systems, the pump house, the paperwork and all the other elements that increase the safety of our systems," Tom explains enthusiastically. "In addition, I'm going to do some more training so that I'll soon be a certified manager."
Fire alarm system manager
"We have fire alarms and extinguisher systems all over our premises and in all our facilities. The manager ensures that the fire alarms and extinguishing systems are kept in good working order and are properly maintained. We work closely with the operators of the facilities in order to achieve this. We fix minor malfunctions ourselves as the manager," explains Tom. "For other breakdowns, we call in external, certified companies. This is also due to the statutory standards that we have to meet in order to guarantee the safety. Incidentally, that is very tightly regulated at Twence. Safety has the highest priority."
Acquiring a lot of new knowledge
It's a varied job with a lot of rules and paperwork and a bit of technology. "I'm learning a lot of new things, about legislation and regulations and insurance, for starters. And at the same time I am still busy with technology. I think the freedom that I've been given is typical of Twence. Even the training is well organised. Just give me a list, my manager said, and we'll see what you enjoy doing and whether it fits in with your job. Nothing about my switch is disappointing. I really enjoy working at Twence.