Newsletter Ascend examengroep B.V

Dear reader,

It’s summer! Although the sun has not really shown its best side in recent days in The Netherlands. Nevermind, as we keep on shining at the office.

In this newsletter we show you the happy faces of the winners of the water bottles.

We will continue to do exams this summer, because most companies have to catch up many VCA and SOG exams, due to Corona. As we described in our previous newsletter, the dispensation scheme was valid until July 1, 2020. All expired diplomas therefore need to be renewed from now on.

Ascend examengroep B.V. is still following the drafted protocol and we have news about “cough screens”.

Finally, a special mention for Vrouwen in de Bouw, Women in Construction! We are incredibly proud that we have been asked by this fun organization to participate in an interview. Last Friday Petra was on their Facebook and July 24 Ruby will be online. They let us know what they think about working in a ‘man’s world’.

We wish you a good week,
Team of Ascend examengroep B.V.

Results of group consultation Corona measures

Organisations VCA Infra and Stichting Examenkamer had a meeting on Wednesday 1 July about a number of recommendations for exams as of 1 July 2020.

The 1.5 meter distance remains. An exam room must offer the possibility that all candidates and exam leader can be 1.5 meters apart during the exam.

The passing distance, in which a short passage is made, such as when registering or taking an exam, has become slightly smoother. Appropriate distance is still desirable, but the group has indicated that in these cases the 1.5 rule does not need to be maintained.

We continue to ask the candidates to move the laptops a bit, because at Ascend examengroep B.V. would like to continue to use the 1.5 meters as much as possible. We also continue to disinfect all equipment after an exam and during a reading exam, the earmuffs are thrown away.

Finally, during the consultation there was talk about the “cough screens” that are now often seen in the catering industry and supermarkets. The group has the opinion that a cough screen cannot increase the capacity of the exam groups. 

Update exams abroad

We went to Poland by car! Petra was the first to take exams again and made the trip completely on her own. The necessary iced coffees, energy drinks and singing telephone conversations with her grandchildren and friends have guided her through.

In an adapted room, the exams were successfully completed and our Polish client was very happy that we were there.

We hope to fly next time, but otherwise we’ll just pack the car again. We liked to travel to Poland that way.

As of June 15, 2020, the Dutch cabinet has relaxed the travel advice, so that airspace within Europe is largely open again. We still do NOT fly to countries where the travel advice is orange or red.

The first exams are scheduled in Portugal again in August, so let’s be happy that they have received code yellow.

Do you already have it? The Ascend examengroep B.V. pen!

We believe that you should embrace the small things in life as much as the big things. We had thought about it for a long time, but because we were always overloaded with pens from the trainers, we never made the move to have pens made by ourselves.

Because of Corona we decided not to take the pens back after an exam. The candidates were obliged to take it home. So we ran out of stock quickly and were actually sorry that now all pens from the trainers were going home instead of our own name. (We love your trainers a lot, but we also want to encourage a little advertising for ourselves.)

So we have our own beautiful Ascend examengroep B.V. pens! We will provide extra pens for the trainers during all exams. Can you now advertise us a little.

The winners of the filter bottles!

The water bottles worth € 105 have been handed out. All three men were very happy with it! We would really only give away 2 bottles, but we also found it annoying if the men of RBC Fire Protection had to share the bottle – that is not very Corona proof. That is why they received 2 bottles.

Chris van Ooms Heftruckopleidingen was also over the moon, because when the borders open again and he can make long journeys again, he now always has clean drinking water in his pocket.

Congratulations again men and have fun with these bottles!

In July we have no special action, but in August we will go back with a ‘back to work’ action. After the summer holidays, some of us have a bit of the holiday blues. So to get you back to work with full sense, we are launching a nice promotion in August.

Interview Women in Construction

We see at Ascend examengroep B.V. in recent years an increase in the number of female participants in the exams, while it is often technical jobs that require VCA and SOG.

We came across an account on Instagram called: Vrouwen in de Bouw. The founder turned out to be Isabel van der Meij. She has just turned 26 years old (congratulations Isabel!) And works in construction herself. She is a junior project manager at contractor Den Dubbelden in Noordwijk.

Isabel does not come across many women who work in construction, but her Instagram showed that there are enough women who work in construction or have the ambition to do so. With her Facebook and Instagram she now hopes to encourage women that working in construction really isn’t just for men.

She shares experiences of herself and other women on social media. There is a regular online interview on the Women in Construction Facebook. Petra will be online this Friday (today) and the interview with Ruby will be released on July 24. Both ladies tell what they think of working in a ‘men’s world’.

The contact details are:
Facebook: Vrouwen in de Bouw
Instagram: vrouwenindebouw

Would you like to know more or get in touch with Isabel?
Send an email to vrouwenindebouw@hotmail.com