Photo by Nadia van den Heuvel, owner of design agency Ictoria, sitting at the table with her colleagues.
How would you feel if your world was no bigger than just the inside of your house? This may sound crazy, but for some people this is reality. I would like to introduce you to Dennis*. With lots of challenges and only one wish that surpasses every challenge: to become a web designer. Dennis hardly ever leaves his house because of agoraphobia. Not being able or daring to leave his house causes quite a few limitations, including finding or performing work. After all, you can’t work at a cash till in the bathroom. But Dennis is living proof that one email can be enough. He sent as many as three hundred e-mails with his motivation and CV and got only one reply.
Starting with a work experience placement
And that answer came from Ictoria. As long as the talent is greater than the challenge, we dare to take it on at Ictoria. Dennis started with us on a work experience placement in which he grew enormously professionally, but also as a person. He also enjoys the smallest office habits, such as the group app in which we share everything. Needless to say, Dennis is now also a member of our group app – it is proof to him that he belongs.
A complex case study
When the work experience placement came to an end after three months, we had to get his work at home accredited by UWV in order to offer him a contract. This is necessary because Dennis has been out of work for a long time and the new job must actually fit his talent. This is all aimed at preventing overburdening. At UWV, they talked about ‘a complex case’ to pull this off. But because I don’t give up easily, I asked my UWV contact Carolien Coerwinkel for help and she suggested I’d contact UWV employment expert Erik van Assem. Together we came up with the idea of a one-month trial placement to still comply with all the rules and in this way allow Dennis and Ictoria to take a wonderful step forward.
Training at the Competence Factory
Dennis has learned the web design trade himself, but there is obviously much more to learn. That is why he will soon follow a training course at the Competence Factory. By mutual agreement, we have adapted the training for him slightly. As a result, Dennis will soon have a certificate and he will be an asset to any marketing or web agency. In any case, I can proudly tell you that Dennis joined team Ictoria on 1 August. Because talent is often greater than an apparent obstacle.
*Dennis is not his real name; to avoid a lot of fans on our doorstep, we have changed the name. But above all, be inspired.
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