Mohammed Al-rawhani, born in Yemen, and Jorrit Kootstra, who works at Sweco, both registered for Sweco's mentor program. One to increase his chances on the Dutch labor market, the other to want to make a difference for someone else. And with success. Mohammed now has a challenging job at ProRail and they have both gained experience and friendship.

Please note: this article was translated using a translator app

Jorrit: “When I was given the opportunity to become a mentor to a status holder at Sweco, I immediately grabbed it. I think it is important to contribute socially in addition to my work and social life. For example, I helped international students in Groningen get started for years and I did volunteer work for Natuurmonumenten. In addition to offering help, it is also a very nice way for me to get to know new people and broaden my horizons.”

 Mohammed: “I am fortunate to have a proactive character. Giving up is not an option for me, I just want to seize all the opportunities that come my way. It is important to me that I become part of Dutch society. That's why I wanted to participate in this mentoring program. With my background in Urban Planning, this was an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse behind the scenes of Sweco and its work. And of course to get in touch with like-minded people who can guide me through the Dutch labor market.”

 Full steam ahead

 There was an obvious match between Mohammed and Jorrit. Not only in terms of expertise and professional interests, but also in their motivations and 'just do it mentality' they see a lot of themselves in others. Immediately upon their first meeting, pen and paper were brought out to create an action plan together to answer Mohammed's request for help. In the period that followed, there would be many coffee moments with substantive experts, review sessions on current applications and tips and tricks about the Dutch application culture.

 Jorrit: “Mohammed knows what he wants, he is extremely driven and goes for it. What I could do for him was to give him a good idea of ​​working on area developments in the Netherlands and help him prepare for job applications. We colored this together in a personal way with largely live meetings - despite the fact that I live in Groningen and Mohammed in Delft. Mohammed even recently took me to eat real Yemeni food with his friends.”

 Mohammed: “As an urban planner, Jorrit has ensured that I was able to strike the right chord. I also spent a day with us, we visited various projects and I was able to experience the work of an urban planner in the Netherlands. This has given me a much better idea of ​​where the opportunities lie for me and how things are going. And I am more convinced than ever that this is the field I want to develop in.”

 The most important thing for Mohammed at the moment is to have a good command of the Dutch language. His new employer ProRail gives him the opportunity to take Dutch lessons two days a week. “This step is necessary to be able to work at Sweco, for example, in the future. And to be able to realize my ambitions. One day I want to have a leading position in Urban Planning. Preferably in the Netherlands. And I would also like to be a volunteer for refugees from Yemen. To help them become successful in the Netherlands,” Mohammed concludes while thinking.

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 This article is an adapted version of the article on the Sweco website.