Hans Anders employees become assistant audiologists

At Summa, several Hans Anders employees are taking refresher courses to become assistant audiologists. Guest lecturer Christel Peerbooms provides both theory and practical lessons. The participants immediately apply the knowledge gained during the lessons in the workplace the very next day. This enables them to help customers better and faster, and to respond to a growing shortage of audiologists in the Netherlands.

Lilly van der Sande works at Hans Anders as a refractionist, but had long been interested in the audiology department. When the opportunity for further training presented itself, she didn't hesitate for a moment. Peer Ceelen, store manager in Woensel with nine years of Hans Anders experience, recognizes that feeling. “Hans Anders wants to bring optics and audiology together into one complete picture. That is why I am participating as well.” Joyce van der Weijden from Gouda is equally enthusiastic: she wears hearing aids herself and now wants to understand the profession from the inside out. “I understand the eyes by now, so I just need to understand the ears.”

The three course participants come from different branches spread across the country. This requires flexibility. “Registrations came in so fast that we divided the ten training days into two groups,” explains Christel. “One week in Eindhoven for the southern group, the other week at the Hans Anders headquarters in Hilversum for a larger group. And for the audiometry exercises, we also organized a trip to a Hans Anders branch in Geldrop, where the appropriate measuring equipment is available.” Because the lessons take place once every two weeks, participants can easily combine the course with their full-time jobs.

The readers developed by Christel herself have been placed in the digital learning environment of SharePoint and Teams. This allows course participants to practice measurement modules at home using realistic case studies. The training covers a broad range of theory, from sound and audiometry to hearing protection, communication with the hard of hearing, and laws and regulations. That knowledge only truly sticks when it is linked to daily practice alongside the audiologist on the shop floor. Lilly: “You practice a case study at home, and the next day you see that same situation in the store. Then everything falls into place.”

That combination is already bearing fruit during the training. “I had someone this week with questions about a hearing aid,” says Joyce. “I was able to immediately explain exactly what improves hearing, what the pros and cons of different options are, and what the financial possibilities are. That makes for a completely different conversation than referring them elsewhere and making them wait.” That is precisely the added value Hans Anders had in mind. Christel: “Taking ear impressions for hearing protectors, accepting a repair, conducting a hearing test, showing a customer the ropes: the trainees will soon be able to do it all themselves.”

The demand for audiologists in the Netherlands is growing, while the supply is lagging behind. Christel is clear about it: “If someone wants a field with security and long-term job guarantee, then audiology is a smart choice. A well-trained assistant audiologist is worth a great deal.” For Lilly, Peer, and Joyce, the choice is clear: they already enjoy working in the shop, and will soon be able to mean even more to the customer walking in with a hearing question. The training is not yet completed, but the added value is already visible.