What makes Klaas Haasjes happy? From generating enthusiasm for construction in young people. "I like to transfer my love of the trade to younger generations. It is a joy to go among the pupils and students and see how they hammer a nail into a piece of wood with great concentration."
Happy Construction News? I have, thought Klaas Haasjes and he contacted the editors of the Construction and Installation Hub. The former Commercial Manager Maintenance and Management North and East at construction company and project developer Van Wijnen is retired, but wants nothing to do with geraniums. He is passing on his knowledge to young people, and the pleasure is mutual.
Klaas, how do you get young people excited about construction?
"Especially by showing them what can be done. Both in terms of what is being built, and in terms of occupations and directions. If they understand how important construction (and more broadly: engineering) is, then something starts working in those minds. It is very valuable to make it visible. It works differently for each target group. To be able to realize it all, I founded my company 'Nail on the head'. I want to motivate, teach, advise and enthuse."
From elementary school to university ... what specifically do you do with those elementary school children?
"I was recently with a combination of students from grades 1 and 2 and 3 at an elementary school. They were given a plastic construction helmet beforehand. When I entered the gymnasium (read: 'on the construction site') they were all already waiting with those helmets on, wonderful. For such young children, I bring all kinds of things: roof tiles, hammer and nails and wood, and you name it. Some children have never seen a roof tile up close, they don't recognize them then. But if we zoom out, of course they know. There are children who do carpentry at home, others have never held a hammer before. We always start doing things, that works best."
And students? How do you handle that?
"Yes, it's very different, of course. I tell my story, but also take them eager to take you to a construction site. Once upon a time there was construction work on the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. When I proposed to a group of students from the VU to gather there at 6:30 p.m., they initially protested greatly. And someone asked if there would be a canteen with coffee and sandwiches. That made me chuckle enormously, of course. In the end, everyone was very enthusiastic."
Who does that make you happy?
"Well, who doesn't, you better ask. The young people I visit, parents, teachers and educators, the people on the construction sites; it is construction-wide happy news when it succeeds in getting young people excited about the industry. It makes me happy too; I enjoy passing on my love of the trade to younger generations. It is a joy to go among the pupils and students and watch them hammer a nail into a piece of wood with great concentration or walk around a large construction site for the first time and feast their eyes."
How did your own career in construction begin?
"I was not good at learning but was good with my hands. I went through LTS, went into carpentry and bricklaying. I wanted to go to the MTS, but had to have a six for math to do that, and I didn't have that. When I won the Silver Trowel at a regional bricklaying competition, I got that six. That allowed me to go to the MTS in Zwolle. I got my diploma and started as a carpenter or bricklayer. I enjoyed doing that for four years."
And after that?
"Over the years I've had all kinds of positions, but always in the construction industry. I was a buyer, estimator, assistant superintendent, foreman, superintendent, project manager, head of technical services, deputy director, and manager and owner. I ended up as commercial manager maintenance and management. Not crazy for an initially low-literate guy who grew up in the Northeast Polder, right?"
Was it all roses and roses?
"No, definitely not. At one point I was the manager and owner of a construction company and had 116 people working. Due to a confluence of circumstances, that went wrong. I worked hard day and night to straighten things out, but in the end it came to bankruptcy. I can't tell you how tough that was. I felt enormously responsible. It took me some time to get over it. Fortunately, I was given new opportunities. You always have to keep your spirits up."
Since two and a half years you are officially retired. So are you enjoying yourself?
"Well no, that's nothing for me. I was already involved in learning & development activities at Van Wijnen. It is important to build a bridge between business and education. So I did and do that now at schools, from elementary school to university, by giving guest lectures and talking about my experiences in construction. I am also involved in the development of learning tools for professionals in the construction industry."
Where does your own love of construction come from?
"My grandfather liked to carpenter and I found that fascinating. He once made a tray for chicken feed out of planks. Wood works and those planks would warp. My grandfather had made the construction and attached the planks in such a way that the connection would become stronger the moment the planks did warp. As a result, the tray was rock solid and virtually watertight. In my eyes it was magic, but it turned out to be pure experience. My grandfather also built a complete chicken shed, but he didn't have a level. To still see if everything was straight, he used a transparent water hose. It could be done that way too; great."
How do you look at the job market?
"The shortage is a big problem. Carpenters and masons as well as other skilled workers are scarce these days. You see construction companies, including Van Wijnen, doing more and more with prefab. Very good, but skilled workers are also still needed, for example to carry out repairs. So I remain committed to getting young people interested in a career in construction."
About Merry Construction News
The world is bleak enough, so we ask our readers what makes them cheerful. In the Cheery Construction News section, they tell us themselves why a project, a piece of equipment or a way of working excites them. It doesn't matter, as long as it makes even a dreary Tuesday morning a little brighter.
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