Valentijn has found his place at a great technical company in Twente

Valentijn Velten is only 24 years old, but he is already right where he wants to be. He was born and raised in Enter. He still lives there now, because he loves it there. All his friends and family live in Enter or the surrounding villages, and his girlfriend lives in Markelo. “My attachment to Twente comes from being together with friends and family, and the relaxation and familiarity you have in this region.” Besides that, Valentijn likes to play football, which he does at his club in Enter. Valentijn also appreciates the short travel times to his loved ones and his work. He is currently working at Voortman Steel Machinery in Rijssen, which is a part of Voortman Steel Group.

To reach this Twente top company, Valentijn has completed a technical study programme. First, he completed the accelerated track for Mechanical Engineering at the ROC in Hengelo. Then, Valentijn moved on to the Saxion, where he continued his studies in Mechanical Engineering. Besides technology, Valentijn also has an interest in the more commercial and business side of his field. To achieve this ambition, he did a minor in business succession and followed a fifth year at the Saxion, focused on technical business administration. This special route is called BK5

Valentijn has won a great prize with his graduation thesis. In 2018, he was named Saxion’s best graduating student. He finished his studies at a system integrator in Enter, Romias Robotics. “I researched a total solution for supplying processing machines, such as turning or milling machines. I developed an autonomous system for this, which allows you to load and unload a machine with self-driving vehicles and industrial robots so that human interaction is no longer needed.” Valentijn was awarded this prize because, among other things, he looked very closely at the needs of both the customer and the company. After his studies, Valentijn started looking for a technical, innovative, international company in the region. “Because there are plenty”, Valentijn said.

Voortman Steel Machinery, together with Voortman Steel Construction, is a part of the Voortman Steel Group. Steel Machinery’s products are used in Steel Construction, and it is because of this sister company that Voortman Steel Machinery understands the challenges in steel construction all too well. Voortman Steel Machinery develops machine for steel construction and for the manufacturing industry. These are mostly beam processing machines for steel construction, and sheet processing machines for the manufacturing industry. Valentijn is Product Manager for the sheet cutting machines. “In this position, you stay up-to-date with the developments in branches where Voortman is active. On the one hand, you are busy developing new products, and on the other hand with improving the current product range.”

 “It is a job that includes a mix of technical development, which I learnt about in mechanical engineering, and a bit of strategy and marketing, which is the commercial side.”

Valentijn wanted to work at an internationally operating company. He succeeded because Voorman sells 90% of its machines outside of the Netherlands. Something that Valentijn also likes about the company is that Voortman is shifting from the traditional role as a machine builder to a supplier of a total solution, in which software plays an increasingly important role. “It’s about delivering a solution to the customer. Voortman’s motto is “we are you”, Voortman completely understands what problems the customer may face, and thus also what the needs are. That makes Voortman very strong in this field.”

Valentijn did not consciously look for a job in the region but stayed in Twente because the companies here met his conditions very well. In the end, a list with at least 20 companies from the region that met these conditions was made. “Some examples are Voortman, Demcon, Thales, or IMS. You have many companies around. There are plenty of opportunities for technical students here. Besides, the region is very active in the field of knowledge and innovation. It appeals to students that the UT and Saxion both have entrepreneurial characters and position themselves accordingly.”

 “Why would you get on a highway when there is an innovative manufacturing industry right around the corner? Because interesting techniques are here for the taking.”