Information and education center for glasshouse technology

We are the information and education centre for glasshouse technology in Westdorpe. In Holland we call it Voorlichtings- en Opleidingscentrum, or shortly VOC.

In the VOC our core business is training unemployed people for the work that is done in the glasshouses nearby. The people which are working in the VOC are interns, their stay is based on work placement. It means that they are not receiving salary, only people with allowance are working here. Instead of paying the people salary, it is possible to get your Basic Safety Certificate (VCA) and forklift certificate. And of course the interns learn the variety of  work which is done in the greenhouse. With good work pace, good quality and motivation, all the people who follow this work placement in the VOC have a good chance to find a job in the glasshouses nearby or the industry located nearby.

The VOC started in 2008. Till now app. 450 people started the workplacement at the VOC. From all of these people 45-50% has found a job. That is a very high score for a reintegration project (for example: reintegration project has a score of 10-15%).

When you are working in the green house, it's important to have good motivation, good work pace, good quality and good hygiëne. You need to work efficiënt and mostly in series. In the VOC we also try to motivate and activate people.

All work that is done by foot, is done between head and hip height. For all the work above head height we use small elevators. For most of the work that is done by foot, we use trolleys (for example: harvesting).

The VOC is situated near Terneuzen, and a perfect location for sustainable greenhouses. Near our greenhouse is Yara, which has a lot of waste heat and Co2. All of the greenhouses use this waste heat and Co2 and produce with this sustainable energy. This area also has a lot of sun hours and perfect climate.

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