'I have met few teachers like Kim'

Lunet, a healthcare organization for people with intellectual disabilities, has been collaborating with Summa for years to retrain and upskill healthcare workers. Margreet Diks, HRM manager, has been committed to learning and development at Lunet for about four years now. "We're facing a very tight labor market in healthcare. As part of the LLO program, we've partnered with Summa to offer customized training to facilitate advancement within the organization."

Margreet has noticed for a long time that people are no longer so quick to opt for the disabled care Choose. "At Lunet, we're exploring how we can fill certain positions. For example, by retraining or upskilling our employees. We always do this with a recognized training provider, as we believe it's important that participants receive a recognized certificate. Due to the tight labor market, we noticed we were no longer able to find people for certain positions. As part of the LLO program, we partnered with Summa to offer customized solutions to our employees. This way, they can continue to progress and grow within the organization."

Growth opportunities in disability care

The opportunity for career advancement offers perspective. For example, employees currently working as counselors can progress to become client counselors, says Margreet. “The collaboration to develop this retraining program went very well. Summa is flexible and offers a wide range of possibilities. There are short lines of communication, dedicated team leaders, and instructors with a wealth of expertise. They are excellent at brainstorming on the content and translating our needs into the right, customized program. They truly ensure that quality is maintained.”

Retraining in healthcare

Tom 't Lam has been working as a patient support worker at Lunet for three years now. “After completing my Communications degree, I realized that working in marketing wasn't energizing. My girlfriend was already working at Lunet at the time. I went along with her, and I immediately knew my heart lay in disability care. I discussed the possibilities, and Lunet offered me retraining for healthcare. Now, three years later, there's a shortage of patient support workers in the group. I wanted to advance my career but didn't want to spend more than a year in school. That's why Lunet, in collaboration with Summa, developed a shortened program where I, along with several colleagues, can progress to level 9 in nine months and start working as a patient support worker.”

Teachers make the difference

The classes don't feel like school, in a positive way. They're creative and challenging. I've encountered few teachers like Kim Derks. She keeps you engaged all day long. I really notice the difference with level 3; the material goes much deeper, which is helpful in practice. The theory I learn, I take with me to work every day. You get a lot of tools to tackle things, you can brainstorm with colleagues, and you gain valuable insights. Thanks to Kim, I've learned so much, which I'm already applying in conversations with clients and their families.

Tom still dreams. "Within disability care at Lunet, I can still go in all directions. I really enjoy my work, but who knows, maybe one day I'd like to become a team coach or contribute to client plans. All the possibilities are there."