About a year ago Brainport Development started the pilot Hybrid Tech Teachers in Brainport. The project offers professionals from the technical sector the opportunity to combine their job with teaching. After all, education is desperate for teachers from the professional field. On the Brainport website (or below) you can read the enthusiastic story about this from ASML Test engineer Sim Leys.
Besides Sim, there are many more high tech professionals who use their expertise to make the connection between education and the work field, with benefits for both parties. Great development!
This pilot gives an impulse to the quality of education in the region by literally bringing the experience and knowledge of people from the technical industry into the classroom through 100 hybrid teachers. A hybrid teacher in this pilot teaches less than 240 hours per school year and therefore does not need to obtain a qualification. We call this "hybrid light". The aim is to scale up this pilot to a sustainable (regional) collaboration between education and the business community based on hybrid teaching.
If you participate in the pilot as a company, you will receive support in providing information about hybrid teaching within the company, setting up an interest survey and drawing up a policy. In addition, the matchers have discussions with your employees about the possibilities of hybrid teaching and they organize the first introduction and the match with education. All participating hybrid teachers will also have the opportunity to participate in a course "First Aid for Education" at Fontys Hogescholen. In this course of three half-days, the participants learn the basic pedagogical-didactic skills; so that they come into the classroom somewhat prepared.
Sim is an Integration and Test Engineer at ASML. For six months he can be found at Summa College one day a week. There he, together with fellow lecturers, is shaping the new Technician Smart Industry course. "I used to want to be a math teacher, but I ended up in the high tech industry," he says. "When I heard about the Hybrid Tech Teachers pilot, I immediately knew: that's something for me. I like to share my experiences with others. "Sim was linked to Summa College through a matcher.
More job satisfaction through a combination of business and education
Sim is certainly not the only ASML employee participating in the project. In fact, there are more and more. The large tech company has several reasons to encourage employees to opt for hybrid teaching. Group leader Roel de Jonge explains. "At ASML, we believe it is important that employees are given the space to continue to develop. In addition, the variety can contribute to job satisfaction. A colleague from my team started the pilot. I see she shows up for work with more pleasure. She told me that she loves to transfer her knowledge to the students. "But there is another reason that ASML is participating in the pilot with several employees. De Jonge: “As one of Brainport's largest employers, we believe it is important to also make a contribution to the region on a social level.” A final motive that De Jonge wants to mention is the opportunity to motivate new talent for technology & ASML and hire them in the future. "Among those students there may be a new engineer for our company."
Learning new skills by standing in front of the class
In any case, Sim is happy that he decided to participate in the pilot. "My world has gotten bigger. At ASML I am part of a large team that deals with a small part of a machine. As a hybrid teacher you are the link between education and the business world. "He also looks forward to hone his soft skills in the near future. "They are becoming increasingly important. Also in the high tech sector you cannot escape being able to communicate and present well. "
Hybrid teacher is the future
Menno van Gennip is a teacher of Mechatronics Industrial Automation at Summa College and is developing the new training together with, among others, Sim. "The hybrid teaching position fits perfectly within this new program," he explains. "We are going to look much more for cooperation with the business community. Students sharpen their 21-century skills and get to work on concrete issues from the professional field. If you are supported in this by a teacher who can be found in that field for most of his time, then that is of added value. "And Menno can also imagine that it works the other way. "Who knows, in a few years, I might be working in the business world one day a week!"
Knowing more?
You can read more about this pilot in the Flyer Hybrid Teachers.
