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How do you discover what you’re capable of at work? For Wilfred Hubers, the skills passport at vanRaam provided a clear answer. It helped him reflect on his experience, his talents and the skills he has built up over the years
When vanRaam took part in the national skills passport pilot for the Metalektro sector from June to August 2025, Wilfred was one of the colleagues who joined the programme. He did not have to think twice when he was asked to participate.
“I thought it was a great initiative,” he says. “It helps you recognise what you’re capable of, including things beyond the work you’ve always done.”
The pilot began with a meeting on the work floor, where managers explained the passport and the purpose of the project. For Wilfred, it was immediately clear that he wanted to take part.
“We were brought together on the work floor, where our managers told us about the passport. I thought it was a great initiative and wanted to take part in it.”
For Wilfred, the project connected well with his own career path. Before joining vanRaam, he had worked in hospitality for many years. Only afterwards did he decide to take a new direction.
After the first meeting, the participants received more information about the programme and completed a questionnaire about their education and work experience.
“We had to fill in a survey about our qualifications and work experience. The process was quite straightforward. You could log in easily and finish it within an hour.”
Wilfred was then selected, together with several other colleagues, to take a further part in the pilot. During this stage of the programme, a video was also recorded about the skills passport and the experiences of the participants.
Keeping the passport up to date also turned out to be straightforward. According to Wilfred, it usually took him between half an hour and forty-five minutes to update it.
When the project was completed, he especially enjoyed seeing the final result of the video.
“I really enjoyed seeing it and being able to contribute to it.”
Skills passport at vanRaam || interview Wilfred & Miriam
For Wilfred, the greatest value of the skills passport lies in the insight it gives into your own abilities.
“It has given me a clearer understanding of what I can already do. It really adds value to my CV.”
The skills passport is a digital platform where employees keep track of their skills, work experience and ambitions. You can think of it as a personal profile or CV that you manage yourself: you record what you can do, what you have done and what you would like to learn. Because the passport is not linked to a single employer, you can take it with you if you change jobs. It is useful when applying for jobs, but also if you want to progress within the company or move into a different role.
Since joining vanRaam, Wilfred has gained experience across several product lines. He started on the product assembly line for the Veloplus and OPair wheelchair bikes. Later, he worked on the Fun2Go duo bike line and temporarily supported the Thuja tricycle line.
“Because I’ve gained experience on different product lines, I can step in wherever needed. That brings variety and makes the work enjoyable.”
According to Wilfred, the skills passport can be especially valuable for people who have developed their skills through practical experience. This includes employees without industry-specific qualifications or international colleagues with work experience from other countries.
For Wilfred, the skills passport mainly shows that you are often capable of more than you think. His advice to others is therefore clear:
At vanRaam, we are used to focusing on what people can do rather than what they cannot. HR Director Miriam Bouwens explains: “When we hire employees, we look at what they are good at, instead of focusing on what they cannot do or which certificates they happen to have.” The skills passport fits perfectly with that approach. “We have many people here who may not have the formal qualifications, but who do incredibly valuable work,” says Miriam. “It reflects who we are as a company, and I believe you have a responsibility to help make initiatives like this happen together.”
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