Collaboration
Flourishing collaboration
VONK (the new name for Clusius College and ROC Kop van Noord-Holland) and Dierenpark Hoenderdaell have entered into a great collaboration, with only benefits for the students, the teachers and the park.
Several students of Vonk follow their training as gardeners (MBO level 2 and entrance level) at the park. Previously they also went to school at the location in Schagen, but from this year the training has moved completely to Hoenderdaell. TPL teacher Yke Posthumus is the driving force behind the collaboration: “At Hoenderdaell we can give our students real practical education and use many different materials and tools. From landscaping, green maintenance, paving, to making fencing for the animal enclosures. All aspects of the gardening profession are represented in the park. Even the tests and exams take place here on location. Thanks to the individual learning line and flexible intake, we can offer tailor-made solutions and let each student follow the training at their own pace.”
Animals and visitor are extra challenge
The unique training location offers both teachers and students many advantages. Teachers can give optimal practical lessons and see the presence of the animals and the visiting public as an extra challenge. Yke: “As a teacher, you have to pay close attention and have a pair of extra eyes. The public and the animals should not be bothered by us at all.”
A very pleasant teaching location
At the location in Hoenderdaell you can do the Garden, Park & Landscape course of Vonk on two levels (entrance and level 2) and in both the BOL and BBL variants. BOL means three days a week of training and two days of internship. At BBL you have an employment contract elsewhere and you follow the training one day a week.
Dependency
Robert Kruijff, owner of Landgoed Hoenderdaell, is also pleased with the collaboration: “The park originated as a hobby in 1992, has grown larger over the years and has now been voted the nicest park in North Holland several times by the ANWB. Initially, we were mainly focused on the animals and less on green maintenance. Partly due to contact with Yke, we have increasingly turned it into a park. I think it’s great to see how the students help us with this and what they can achieve. We can no longer do without them, because a beautiful park also requires a lot of maintenance.”
Students with different educational backgrounds
The students who are taught at Hoenderdaell all have a different history. They are mostly VMBO students who opt for the subsequent MBO level 2 education after their diploma. But also early school leavers who can do the entrance training without a diploma. Or students who transfer to Garden, Park & Landscape from another MBO programme.
More info about the Garden, Park & Landscape course
Students can register at two locations for the Garden, Park & Landscape programme: Hoorn and Schagen. In Hoorn, the training is given with facilities from our own location there. If you register in Schagen, you will receive lessons at Landgoed Hoenderdaell. More information about VONK mbo, the training and registration.