Dirk Stans: “The FHI Academy helps companies and employees move forward”

As Chairman of FHI and co-founder of Eurocircuits, Dirk Stans knows from experience how technical knowledge translates into a stronger company. He discusses why FHI must take the initiative in learning and development, what “from and for the industry” demands of members, and his ambition for the FHI Academy in five years.

Since 1991, Dirk Stans, co-founder and managing partner of Eurocircuits, has been building a European manufacturing company for printed circuit boards and assembled electronics, with a strong focus on prototypes and small series. As chairman of FHI, he looks beyond his own company. “My involvement with FHI stems from the conviction that companies are stronger together in a large market and world,” he says. “A federation gives us the opportunity to share experiences, organize business jointly, and connect customers with our members.”

An everyday federation

What Stans wants to achieve in his role on the board is to make that promise concrete. “We must be an everyday federation, with activities whose value members see in their own companies,” he says. In this regard, he considers broad support important: FHI is an association. The differences between sectors deserve attention, but there is also much in common. “That is precisely what we must build on.”

Technology alone does not make the difference

Stans expects the impact over the next five years to come primarily from digitalization and AI, the availability of skilled professionals, and the pressure to work faster and more efficiently. The international market is also changing: companies must carefully consider their position in the supply chain and the value they offer their customers. “Technology alone will not make the difference,” he states. “The question is how to translate new possibilities into better processes, reliable quality, and a better customer experience. That requires people who understand the technology and can assess its application within their company.”

According to Stans, to remain competitive and attractive, companies must strengthen their expertise, organization, and customer focus together. A strong product is important, but customers also experience how smoothly a company communicates and how reliably it delivers. As an employer, this means offering people perspective: meaningful work, room to take responsibility, and opportunities to grow. “Working more efficiently frees up time for employee training and helps people do their jobs better,” he says. “Training and daily business operations therefore go hand in hand.”

No in-house training department

FHI must bring members together around questions they can solve better together, through knowledge sharing, training, expert groups, meetings, and fairs. The Academy is one of the pillars through which FHI makes an everyday federation concrete.

“Most of our member companies have fewer than 25 employees. They do not have their own human resources department, let alone one specifically dedicated to employee training and personal development. Often, they lack the time to search for training courses themselves. FHI can identify these common needs and actively bring a suitable offering to those companies.”

Dirk Stans, Chairman FHI

According to Stans, FHI must confidently take the initiative in this regard, based on a thorough understanding of member needs. “We must know our members” needs well and look for the greatest common denominator. If suitable training courses already exist, we can collaborate with those providers or utilize their courses. However, the existence of other offerings should never be a reason to leave a need of our members unmet. Smaller companies, in particular, often lack sufficient time to search for and evaluate those offerings themselves. FHI can actively bring those training courses to them.”

A conscious approach

“Within a technology federation, when it comes to development, we quickly think of product development,” says Stans. “The Academy revolves around the personal and professional development of employees: strengthening their knowledge and skills and helping them grow in their work and responsibilities.”

According to Stans, people in technical companies learn a great deal every day: at a machine, at a client's, during a project, or when solving a problem. This practical learning culture is a great strength. “What is sometimes lacking is a conscious approach to that personal development,” he says. “Knowledge remains with a few people, and companies postpone training because they are busy. Also, someone who is technically skilled is sometimes given a leadership role without sufficient support.”

That urgency has increased in recent years. New technology, with AI at the forefront, is entering daily work faster, while companies need to better transfer the experience of older employees and get new people up and running more quickly. “With scarce capacity, it is especially important that employees can do their jobs well and that we retain knowledge,” says Stans. “In this way, the personal development of employees contributes directly to the continuity of a company.”

By and for the industry

The content of what employees need to learn naturally differs by industry: an employee in a laboratory requires different expertise than someone who manufactures electronics or sells an automation solution. But beneath those differences, according to Stans, lie many shared questions: how do you work with customers, how do you lead a team, how do you organize projects, and how do you use digital tools wisely? “Industries can learn a lot from each other in these areas. Therefore, I would always first look at what we can tackle jointly and then make room for the specific subject matter.”

Topics such as leadership, customer-oriented work, project organization, and general digital skills therefore lend themselves well to a joint, federated approach. For specialized techniques, measurement methods, production processes, and industry-specific quality requirements, however, an industry-specific approach is necessary. “The federation can share the organization and the foundation, while the branches provide the appropriate professional content.”

That guiding principle, “by and for the industry,” also requires something from the industries and member companies themselves. “Members must indicate what challenges they face, which skills are lacking, and what makes a training course useful,” says Stans. “Companies must also give employees the time and space to participate and apply what they have learned. FHI takes the initiative, and members help shape the Academy with their experiences and needs.”

From idea to usable activity

The idea behind the Academy aligns with a clear need: helping employees of member companies with their personal and professional development. From the board's perspective, Stans sees the primary task as safeguarding the direction and member value. Do we have a sufficient understanding of our members' training needs? Do we offer something that helps employees advance in their work? And do we organize it so that companies can easily make use of it?

Looking back on the run-up and the launch in June, Stans is particularly proud that FHI, with the Academy, has a concrete initiative to help employees of member companies advance. “We often talk about the importance of their personal development; the Academy gives us the opportunity to actually put this to work as a federation.” The work is not finished yet, he emphasizes: the real success will be evident from participation, application in companies, and the willingness of members to help build on it further.

Results in daily work

What concrete signs should a member company, large or small, experience from the FHI Academy? According to Stans, primarily that FHI understands its training needs and offers a practical program to meet them. For a small company, this also means having less need to search and organize things itself; for a larger company, the value may lie precisely in in-depth learning, exchange, and a common foundation for employees.

“Ultimately, employees and companies must experience the result in their daily work: better preparation, fewer avoidable errors, stronger collaboration, or a better customer conversation,” says Stans.

Looking ahead

In five years, Stans wants the Academy to have a permanent place in the personal and professional development of employees at FHI members. Companies need to know that FHI understands their needs, actively offers them relevant resources, and provides effective assistance with training requests. “My most important measure is that members can explain how the Academy has strengthened their employees and their company,” he says. “In this way, this pillar makes a lasting contribution to the daily work of the federation.”

The Academy can also contribute to the attractiveness of the sector for new generations of professionals. According to Stans, new generations want to see that technology offers interesting work and that there is room to grow. “The Academy can show that in our sector you continue to learn, are given responsibility, and can pursue various directions.” In doing so, we must connect the experience of established professionals with the ideas and digital skills of younger employees: mutual learning, in combination with the companies, meetings, and trade fairs of FHI.

Procrastination also has a price

Stans understands entrepreneurs who are hesitant about investing time and money in development. “Time and money are limited, especially in a smaller company. But look at the concrete problem you want to solve. Which mistakes cost time? Where does an employee get stuck? What knowledge do you need to help a customer better?”

His advice: start with a concrete question about an employee's knowledge or skills and choose an approach that fits. The Academy can help and provide a suitable training course. “Then give the employee the space to put what they have learned into practice and discuss the result. This way, you can assess the value of that investment. After all, postponing personal development also has a price.”

Want to know more about the FHI Academy or discuss learning and development? Email jasper.scherpenborg@fhi.nl or call the FHI Academy on 026 78 100 37.