'I would be very unhappy without work'

Ewoud Brummel (19) has been working at the Green & Environment department at GGZ-Delft since 2023. As a plant enthusiast, he wants to learn everything about working in green spaces. He does this through practical experience and special courses.

Work is very important to Ewoud, he says: "You earn your own money, you have great colleagues, and you're busy. That's how you continuously develop yourself." He enjoys being among colleagues: "It's really fun to be part of a team; together you're strong. I feel very safe and comfortable here."

VCA course
Ewoud wants to improve his work. First, he took the Plant Knowledge course, which is required for green work. He recently successfully completed the VCA Basic Course. "There you learn how to work safely and healthily with machines and equipment, but also with hazardous substances like gas. You learn to use protective equipment, such as a gas mask or safety helmets and goggles." Ewoud is now also familiar with all the mandatory signs: "Every machine has a sticker that indicates what protection is required when using it. You learn that in the VCA training as well." At first, he found it quite challenging and didn't quite understand much of the online information. "But once we started seeing it in practice, I understood it much better."

Excellent guidance
The guidance by Werkse! Ewoud really likes it. "My supervisor, Huub, is a really nice and funny guy. I can ask him anything, and he gives me tips and tricks to do my work even better. And when I have to do something new that I find difficult, he helps me overcome my insecurity. 'If you don't try, you'll never know if you can do it,' he says. So I try, and it turns out I can actually do it. As a child, I didn't like new foods; I refused to eat them. Because of my experiences with Werkse! I'm now more willing to try something new. Isn't that great!?

More training
As mentioned, Ewoud wants to keep improving his work. "Right now, I'm only allowed to use the leaf blower, but I also want to be able to use other equipment. Later this year, I'll take the mowing training course so I can also use a lawnmower. And maybe later, I'll also take a course on how to safely use a hedge trimmer. But all in good time." Even outside of work, he tries to contribute to landscaping: "I recently helped my mother in our backyard to make it look nice. It's really fun!"

Ewoud believes that obtaining qualifications is important because it allows you to demonstrate your skills. 'I want to become someone who can work well in green spaces, who can independently maintain a site so that it looks good. Then perhaps in the future I would also work outdoors.' Werkse! I can get started. As long as it's green, because I love plants.