Let me give a few examples of our activities. At one event, Pieter van Lierop (Head of the Steel and Movable Structures sector) gave a presentation about the design of the largest sea locks in the world, situated in IJmuiden. Engineers from Iv-Groep designed the massive gates – fascinating stuff! We then took to the water to see the construction of the locks in progress. Only when you see it at first hand do you realise just how colossal the structure is. Back on shore, the entire group enjoyed a convivial dinner together. The perfect end to a perfect day: it’s always nice to meet up with colleagues, especially those you don’t see very often.
Another example. Late last year, Aad Vredenbregt of ValOli spoke to us about how our work will be affected by new digital technologies. Innovation will bring some exciting new challenges for our company and the entire sector. Again, an extremely interesting presentation. I think it's marvellous that younger staff can contribute to the discussion about how digital technologies will affect our future, and that management listens to our views. We can draw knowledge from all parts of the organisation to form a complete picture of where the company stands and what we have to do to remain ‘future-proof’.
We also take part in various design competitions. For example, the sector organisation NL Engineers organises the annual ‘Do and Dare’ competition, in which teams consisting of junior employees from various engineering consultancies compete against each other. We at Iv-Groep enjoy a challenge, so needless to say we have already put our names down for the 2018 contest. This competition challenges us to apply our knowledge and creativity in a different way to our usual day-to-day work.
I could go on. Suffice it to say that I, and everyone else I know, really enjoy being part of Iv-Young. It gives us great satisfaction to organise activities and share our passion for this fascinating profession.
By Rick van der Meijs, Hydraulic Engineering Designer