Tunnel operators play a crucial role in the safety of our road network. The law stipulates that managers of infrastructural works, such as a tunnel, take care of the specific training of employees who are responsible for the operation of such a tunnel according to the so-called OTO trajectory: Educate, Train, Practice. Since 2022, ICT Improve has been unburdening their client Rijkswaterstaat with the special education and training courses for tunnel operators.
ICT Improve, part of ICT Group, has been partner in training for IT professionals and organizations for more than 25 years. The focus is on the relationship between people, process and technology. Benjamin Timmermans is account manager for training at Improve. "We work for renowned clients. In addition to Rijkswaterstaat and other government organisations, these are international companies such as Philips, Canon, TomTom and ASML," explains Benjamin.
“Through INNOCY, also part of ICT Group, we received the question from the Central Netherlands Traffic Control Centre whether we could provide a training program for tunnel operators employed by Rijkswaterstaat. We quickly matched Rijkswaterstaat with our consultant Erwin Pasmans," says Benjamin. "New construction and renovation projects of tunnels involve a lot of software. In his role as a consultant, Erwin and a group of ICT Improve colleagues have been working for Rijkswaterstaat for many years. The expertise we have gained in this process is also used for the education and training program that we offer tunnel operators."
"The strength of ICT Group is that we have a lot of different domain knowledge with all divisions and ICT Improve adds education and training expertise to that. Knowing a lot about a field does not mean that you can train people, that training is precisely the core business of ICT Improve."
- Benjamin Timmermans
What does a tunnel operator do?
Are there traffic jams, has there been a breakdown or accident, are there other reasons why there is a blockage or a problem in a tunnel? Tunnel operators constantly monitor the tunnels assigned to them. Their colleagues at the traffic control centre keep an eye on bridges and locks, and others are responsible for the motorways in general. Together, these Rijkswaterstaat employees work 24/7 to ensure that everyone can use our road network as safely as possible.
"As a result of staff shortages due to the outflow of pensioners and shortages in the labour market, everyone who works as a tunnel operator at Rijkswaterstaat is scheduled as much as possible," Erwin explains. "As a result, experienced tunnel operators do not have time to provide training. Starting operators can only spare a little time for (further) training. That is why the Central Netherlands Traffic Control Centre came to ICT Improve with the question whether we could provide compact refresher courses. The problem also occurs at the other regional traffic control centres, so we are now training more tunnel operators from Rijkswaterstaat."
"This team of ICT Improve employees is flexible and continuously deployable."
Content of the courses
Erwin: "In addition to the basic training provided by Rijkswaterstaat itself, it is laid down by law that tunnel operators periodically receive a refresher course. For each tunnel, in addition to a generic, more theoretical part, this is a specific practical training. A training and practice environment is available for all tunnels. In the most recent tunnels, this is a simulation environment that is reminiscent of a flight simulator where trainee pilots can practice with all kinds of situations and incidents."
Erwin develops and provides the training courses together with the group of colleagues from ICT Improve who have also been working for Rijkswaterstaat for years. Benjamin: "This team of Improve employees is flexible and continuously deployable. That's a good thing, because in the coming years a lot of new and renovated tunnels will be completed, for which tunnel operators will have to be trained. In addition, there are also many municipalities that manage tunnels. It is quite conceivable that ICT Improve will also play a role in the education and training of tunnel operators there."
"The problem also occurs at the other regional traffic control centres, so we are now training more tunnel operators from Rijkswaterstaat"
- Erwin Pasmans
Leading Training Provider
The fact that ICT Improve is a leading training provider is evident from its top position in the Computable ranking, with a score of 9.4. In 2024, ICT Improve was also named the best Agile/Scrum and Test Trainer in the Netherlands. In addition to training and education, ICT Improve also offers coaching, supervises change processes and sets up an internal academy. "The strength of ICT Group is that we have a lot of different domain knowledge with all divisions and ICT Improve adds education and training expertise to that," says Benjamin. "This means that we can provide education and training for a wide range of companies and organisations. After all, knowing a lot about a field does not mean that you can train people. That training is precisely the core business of ICT Improve."