‘I’m participating in society again’
Staying at home isn’t for Arco Huisman (50) from Tilburg. So he decided to go to the UWV to arrange a training course. He chose ‘Typisch IT’: a career-change programme, supported by Brainport Development, which trains you to become a tech support specialist within six weeks. Arco has now obtained his qualification and landed a job. ‘And that’s right where it all began, at the UWV in Eindhoven.’
Although Typisch IT is a career change programme, Arco happened to already have a background in IT. ‘I was working in third-line support, mainly at the service desk and in packaging. But I was declared unfit for work due to my health and ended up at home.’ That was a difficult period for him. ‘I really want to contribute to society. I can no longer do heavy-duty jobs, but I can handle first-line tasks.’ Yet Arco was unable to find work. ‘These days you need quite a few qualifications, and my age didn’t help either.’
So he suggested to the UWV that he undertake a training course to meet the industry’s requirements. He was also assigned a job coach who told him about Typisch IT. ‘I was immediately enthusiastic, because it was a complete package: it was good for my job prospects and for me as a person.’ However, Arco wasn’t allowed to start the course straight away. ‘First I had to be mentally and physically ready. You need a routine and a foundation, otherwise it’s too intense. Because the course is a bit like a pressure cooker.’ That’s why Arco invested in his health and did voluntary work at the autism centre.
Pioneer
And it paid off, because after a few months he was able to start the course in February. Despite his thorough preparation, it was quite a transition. ‘Suddenly you’re back in the classroom. Fortunately, I already had a lot of practical experience in the field, but there was still a lot of theory to get to grips with.’ And he was able to do that together with the other participants. ‘I was also looking to make friends, and I clicked with them straight away. We were all motivated and got on well together. After our daily stand-up, we often stayed behind to chat. We also met up in the evenings to study and practise together.’ Arco really came into his own and was often the driving force behind these joint study sessions. ‘We met every other day; that structure and focus gave us a sense of direction. It meant we could really help each other progress.’ In the spring, after studying incredibly hard, Arco managed to obtain the three Typisch IT certificates. ‘It was an euphoric feeling. I was so proud.’
As part of a team
Arco spent the months following his training applying for jobs and doing voluntary work in the IT department at the Food Bank. ‘A friend told me about the vacancy for a service desk assistant at the UWV. I was really nervous, but so happy that they gave me a chance. They were very supportive of my wishes, such as travelling by train and working from home occasionally. My job coach is still helping me too.’ Arco has now been working at the UWV for over two months. ‘I handle the internal IT-related queries of a total of 21,000 UWV staff members. So it’s anything but boring. It’s nice to be working in a team again and to share the responsibility. That gives me some breathing space. I’m happy to keep working here for the time being.’
Arco therefore looks back with pride on 2025, the year in which he obtained his diploma and started his new job. ‘Of course, it was and is sometimes intense, but it’s worth it. Because it feels as though I’m part of things again. And that wasn’t always a given. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.’