Mohamad's sustainable challenge at start-up GEHECO

Since the beginning of this year, Mohamad Alkenaan has been working as a research and development engineer at the start-up GEHECO. GEHECO is developing a smart and sustainable way to heat homes with water heat pumps. "This is a fantastic job. I research things that don't exist yet and can really let loose with ideas."

With an engineering degree, Mohamad, a Syrian refugee, fled to the Netherlands in 2022. He spent a year on the asylum seekers' boat 'Galaxy' in Amsterdam. "I already knew I wanted to live near Delft. Delft has many small tech companies where I could find a challenging job," Mohamad says.

New job via LinkedIn
In 2023 he moved to Delft and came into contact with the municipality through Werkse!. “If I'm completely honest, I didn't really understand what it was at first Werkse! It seemed like one organization to me.”

Mohamad found his job at GEHECO himself through LinkedIn. "I saw a position that interested me and applied. It was volunteer work at first, but since September, I've been employed as a full-time employee."

In that procedure, Werkse! Helped. I didn't know exactly how job application procedures in the Netherlands should work. Werkse! checked whether my contract was drawn up correctly and whether the employment conditions were correct. That was very helpful.” Mohamad thinks it would be a good idea if Werkse! specializes in this area, focusing on highly educated newcomers. "I could easily find a job myself, but I wasn't yet familiar with Dutch laws and regulations. Specialized assistance with that is more effective than assistance with job hunting."

Talk to your boss
Mohamad also has a tip for other highly educated refugees: “Be patient with the rules in the Netherlands and stay honest. Trust yourself and the knowledge you have. The hierarchy in Dutch companies is very different from abroad. Here, you're allowed to contradict your boss. Do so, even if you know you're right. And if you're wrong for once? It's no problem if you do something wrong. Learn from your mistakes and then continue your project with twice as much energy.”

Now Mohamad feels completely at home in Delft and at GEHECO. "It's fantastic to work at a start-up. We design something that doesn't exist yet. That means exploring new ideas, devising solutions, testing, prototyping, and starting over again. I find this phase incredibly challenging, and I haven't had a single day of boredom since I started working at GEHECO."

GEHECO is regularly looking for new interns (volunteers). Are you technically trained and interested in green technology? Then take a look at www.geheco.com.

Support of Werkse! before and after, highly educated newcomers
Werkse! heeft a special team that guides status holders with integration and the first steps towards work. Thanks to the experience of Mohamad and other newcomers, Werkse! this improve services. The team Status holders at Werkse! gives since August 2023 a training aand status holders to them find your wayto make over dthe labor market in the Netherlands. It's about application procedures, contracts, culture and writing a CV and cover letter.