Hands-on tech fun: 127 primary students explore local companies in Alblasserwaard
Over 120 primary school students from Noordeloos, Giessenburg, Arkel, and Schelluinen got a taste of the technical sector this week. From welding to programming and climbing cherry pickers, the Technology Route gave kids a fun, interactive look at future career possibilities in their region.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of students | 127 |
| Number of companies | 8 |
| Locations | Noordeloos, Giessenburg, Arkel, Schelluinen |
| Activities | Welding, programming, truck blind spot demo, cherry picker climb, crane use |
| Next Technology Route | 15 April 2026 (Streefkerk, Goudriaan, Groot-Ammers, Nieuwpoort/Langerak) |
| Organizer | Municipality of Molenlanden |
The Municipality of Molenlanden organizes the Technology Route to bridge the gap between education and local businesses, particularly in the technical sector. By exposing young students to hands-on experiences, the municipality aims to inspire future talent and strengthen regional workforce development.
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Primary school students enjoy the Technology Route
This week, approximately 127 primary school students visited eight local technical companies in Noordeloos, Giessenburg, Arkel and Schelluinen. During this fourth edition of the Technology Route, Year 7 students thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
During the Technology Route, employees from the participating companies explained what it’s like to work in the technical sector. After that, the students got to try their hands at various activities themselves.
Hands-on experience
At Foreco in Noordeloos, insect hotels flew off the workbenches like hot cakes. At Wallaard, children were allowed to sit behind the wheel of a truck to experience how blind spots work. And at De Kuiper Groep, it became clear once again how much fun welding can be! Dekker Kozijnen put the children’s fine motor skills to the test; they had to use a crane to manoeuvre a window frame from one support to another.
Meanwhile, in Giessenburg and Schelluinen, the children were also kept busy. At Rietveld Fleet Management & Safety Solutions, they worked on small programming tasks. At Hoogwerkservice, the children were allowed to climb into a real cherry picker, and at Van der Vlist, they were given a (nearly) comprehensive tour of the large fleet of vehicles.
The following day, the children from De Lingewaard primary school in Arkel got to work at Van Dijk-Inpijn. For this edition of the Technology Route, the company collaborated with the Metal Skills team, allowing 43 children to work on a number of exciting projects.
Sign of appreciation
After this successful morning, the participating companies were treated to lunch at B&B By Ann in Noordeloos as a token of gratitude for their efforts. For contracting firm Wallaard, De Kuiper Groep, Dekker Kozijnprojecten and Foreco, this was their fifth time taking part in the Technology Route. They received a beautiful bouquet of flowers and the plaque ‘Regional Career Company Alblasserwaard’.
Technology Route: investing in the future
The final Technology Route of this school year is scheduled for Wednesday, 15 April. On that day, primary schools from Streefkerk, Goudriaan, Groot-Ammers and Nieuwpoort/Langerak will take part.
Companies interested in giving children an insight into the world of technology during a future Technology Route can contact the Municipality of Molenlanden.