Career switch from kitchen to technology
Two years ago, Edwin van Hak (37) from Eindhoven was still working in the kitchen of a well-known restaurant in Hapert. Nowadays he works on complex technical installations.
Edwin wanted to be home at the same times as his wife and children and that was not compatible with his work in the restaurant.
That's why Edwin decided to change careers. He retrained as a mechatronics engineer. In 2022, he started a work-study program at Summa Techniek and started working as an apprentice engineer at KMWE. He now studies and works at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven, where he continues to develop his passion for technology.
There are definitely similarities between working in a kitchen and the work I do now. Here too, there are deadlines, you have to form a team, you have to maintain an overview, and you have to work accurately. And in technology, the wires, devices, and sensors are my new ingredients, with which I build something fantastic.
Smart device tells Edwin's story
Edwin has now completed the practical part of his training at Summa with a smart device that tells his story in under a minute. A vacuum gripper grabs the chef and places them on a conveyor belt. The belt transports the chef to the BIC (Bed and Breakfast). The door opens and the chef disappears inside, only to emerge a moment later as a mechatronics technician. "There's a lot of technology in that, yes," laughs Edwin. In the video below, you can see exactly how it works.
Edwin deliberately kept the device's technical components visible so people could see exactly what mechatronics entails. It also demonstrates what Edwin has already learned about mechatronics over the past two years. "If you had told me two years ago that I could make this, I wouldn't have believed you!"