‘Investment in future Brainport region is investment in VHE’
With the Brainport Partnerfonds, regional business invests in Brainport. VHE Industrial automation is one of the first companies to join the fund. CEO of VHE Joop Essing: ‘As a company, we feel a responsibility towards our employees, their families and our environment. An investment in the future of the region also means an investment in the future of our company.'
Located under the smoke of Eindhoven Airport is VHE Industrial automation. A former family business specialising in developing and building automation and control systems for innovative machine builders in various industries. ‘We work on solutions for companies in the semicon, (smart) energy and high-tech sectors,’ says CEO Joop Essing. 'In seventy years, we have grown considerably, but originally we are a small-scale family business. That means that the core value ‘together’ is still very much in it. Both towards our customers and our employees.
Not surprisingly, VHE Industrial automation was one of the first companies to join the Brainport Partnerfonds. Through this private fund, companies contribute to issues such as training more (technical) talent, a balanced labour market, social facilities, social cohesion and equal opportunities. This is necessary, because the number of jobs and inhabitants in the Brainport region will increase significantly in the coming years. As a result, more housing, infrastructure and facilities are also needed.
Talent essential for future of company and region
‘Future talent is an important theme for us within the fund,’ says Joop. 'Talent is vital for our future and that of the region. We are facing a tight labour market. For our company, we can use technical people at all levels. We are certainly no exception. That is why we would like to help think about how we can attract or train talent as effectively as possible'.
One idea is to create (tailor-made) reskilling or retraining initiatives. 'That way you can give people who have the right mindset, but not the right papers, a chance. For instance, we ourselves are working with Summa College on a side-flow pilot for technical positions. We see plenty of opportunities to become even more successful in this. And it is on those opportunities and on further growth that we in the region should focus together.'
Collaborate
Initiatives like this also create more equality of opportunity, according to Joop. 'As an employer, you feel that not everyone can keep up. Through the Brainport Partnerfonds, we create opportunities. That is an important drive for us. We feel this responsibility one hundred per cent.' The strength of the fund lies in cooperation, Joop believes. 'We work together as a business community, but also with the government and knowledge and educational institutions. This triple-helix cooperation is in the DNA of the Brainport region. If we want to move forward, we have to do it together.'
