Speaking technical English with a Portuguese steelworker

He currently handles the work preparations for the A-pier at Schiphol Airport from Velox. An extremely challenging project: "Down to the last screw, everything must be traceable."

"Sometimes I drive past it and I'm still a little proud." Work planner Jan Wiersma is referring to the Zaandam NS station, one of his favorite projects so far. But also one of the most complex. "In the same building as the bus and train station, Zaanstad's new city hall was also being realized. That meant I had to deal with different parties. From visitors at the station to Overseers of the NS; logistically very challenging. Different types of HSB walls also came together in this project. So I was able to get my teeth into engineering the anchors and the different HSB wall types. When you have to be so focused for a big project, it gives a good feeling when you see the beautiful result later from the outside."

The A-Pier

Large utility construction works, Jan is always up for that. That's convenient, because since November 2018 Jan has been working at Schiphol Airport as Work Planner of the so-called A-pier, a 55 thousand square meter pier with eight gates. "Among other things, I have to ensure an orderly digital flow of information there. Such as a well-functioning document management system DMS and correct working methods. Down to the last screw everything has to be traceable." As we speak As a Planner of Steel Structures, Jan is busy with the engineering of, among other things, glass elevators: "Another challenge in itself, because these transparent elevators have to be engineered into the existing work. That's quite a job, think of moving beams, adjusting foundations, but above all a lot of measuring, scanning and checking drawings."

Knowledge of business

It may be clear that Jan feels like a fish out of water as a Work Planner on a large utility project like the A-Pier. And that is just as well, because the work is not yet finished. Jan expects - also due to the corona crisis - that it will be at least several years before the A-pier is put into use. What he likes about his job? "It is technically and communicatively interesting. You are constantly discussing and arranging things, like now in technical English with Turkish colleagues and a Portuguese steel builder. And at the same time you are creating something, you see a work being created before your eyes."

Work planners are becoming scarcer

He also tries to convey that enthusiasm to younger generations, because Work Planners are becoming scarcer. "For example, I once gave a guest lesson to a high school class. They asked quite interesting questions, but most of the students wondered when the lesson would end. That is really becoming a problem, to arouse the interest of young people. They are more likely to choose a job in IT these days."

Jan himself would not ponder that; he likes to finish his career in construction. Who knows what lies ahead for Jan. By the way, don't think that Jan, who lives in Hoogwoud, is bored apart from his work, because in his spare time he likes to ride a motorcycle or a horse. And no doubt there is also plenty of work to be done privately in his own bed & breakfast, which he hopes to deliver in the course of this year.

Contribution to Johan Cruijff ArenA

Until 2000, Jan Wiersma (59) was a Work Planner at an architectural firm. It was 'only' in the new millennium that he made the switch to construction. So he knows both sides of the table. As a junior Work Planner he immediately fell head over heels. "In view of the European Football Championship in 2000, the current Johan Cruijff ArenA had to be modified. Stand spaces were sacrificed in favor of new business lodges to be built. I made my contribution to that as a junior Work Planner."

His MTS Architecture education turned out not to have been in vain, because after 2000 Jan enjoyed staying in construction. He did wonderful projects there, such as at the Amsterdam pop temple Paradiso. Ever since the fall of 2018, he has been working for Velox at Schiphol Airport, where he is involved in the A-pier as Work Planner. This construction suits him very well: "In the past I sometimes had the experience with other parties that they had no knowledge of the business. This is different with Velox. They are well informed about the work I do at Schiphol."