Ormit Talent x ASML: How personal growth strengthens technical craftsmanship
lan Sprong has been with ASML for 11 years by now. He started there as a trainee in Ormit Talent’s first talent pool at ASML and simply never left. A pool is a group of 6 to 12 trainees who go through the traineeship together. lan is currently cluster manager within EUV and will soon lead a cost reduction programme within ASML. As a member of the first talent pool at ASML, lan shares his experiences, challenges and valuable insights about his time at Ormit Talent.
Discovering a new environment
“The ink on the contract between Ormit Talent and ASML wasn’t even dry yet and I could already start at ASML”, lan looks back. “What’s really nice is that you start your traineeship with a group of people. You join a company that is new to everyone in the pool, and then just start figuring things out. It helps when you can do that in a group. We were all in the same boat and we could really learn from each other. The support from Ormit Talent itself was also very good. Your Ormit talent development manager guides you not only in the first steps of the traineeship, but throughout its entirety. On work content, absolutely, but more importantly on how to empower you and make you successful.”
A traineeship as a golden opportunity
What already seemed interesting to lan on paper soon translated into valuable experiences in practice. “It was truly a golden opportunity. It’s partly because of the traineeship that I am where I am today. While you learn a trade at ASML, you learn to develop as a person with Ormit Talent. With your Ormit coach and your pool you can reflect on things, but you also have a safety net; if something is not going well you can always talk about it, either with your poolmates or else with your coach at Ormit.” Being in a talent pool together really added value for Ian: “It encourages learning together, such as during peer review. You pick up things much better as a result and learn faster.”
lan still benefits from his time at Ormit Talent even now though: “Your traineeship is quite an experience, but you aren’t really aware of what you’ll gain from it later on. After your traineeship, you go through different roles and then you’ll suddenly encounter situations you learnt during your traineeship. For example, having difficult conversations; you learn how to do that in a safe and effective way during the training sessions. You can immediately spot someone from Ormit: you have the same background and are often on the same page. Moreover, you build a variety of networks; at Ormit Talent itself and at ASML. Ormit Talent’s alumni network inside and outside ASML is also very large.”
Collaboration between ASML and Ormit Talent
Even today, Ormit Talent has talent pools at ASML. According to lan, ASML and Ormit Talent complement each other well: “Both organisations are good at recruiting and selecting people. ASML always knows how to attract technical people and Ormit Talent has the expertise to choose the right profile and personality. And Ormit looks at people’s potential in particular. When ASML was looking for young professionals with more technical knowledge, Ormit’s flexibility helped it to capitalise on that. At ASML, you need a certain mindset and mentality and Ormit is good at selecting for that.” The view of hard skills versus soft skills was different for both companies 11 years ago. That was no impediment for lan: “I joined a team that deliberately opted for trainees, but I later found out that this isn’t the case for the organisation as a whole. Still, I didn’t let that stop me and together with ASML and Ormit, we were able to turn it into a successful programme. ASML has grown so much in the meantime and we’ve also invested a lot in developing our own people skills.”
30 years of Ormit Talent: Pride and connection
lan has a few more tips for the new generation of trainees: “Keep an open mind. You’re getting on a train going 300km an hour, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Make use of your coach when you encounter difficulties, but also reach out when you have something to celebrate. And be sure to make use of your pool – you’re at the same stage of life, you have the same challenges, you’re in the same boat. If you are open to learning and taking a good look at yourself, you’ll be able to get the most out of your traineeship. If I have to sum up my time at Ormit Talent in one word, that word would be ‘proud’. You’re part of a bigger picture, you bond with people. And once an Ormitter, always an Ormitter.”
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