Zoeterwoude training assures Heineken standards worldwide
Implementation of Heineken policy of
entrusting overseas brewery management
to local executives is a major responsibili
ty of the company's Training Centre, ad
ministered by Heineken Technisch Beheer
at Zoeterwoude.There are in all some 59
breweries worldwide engaged in produc
tion of Heineken beer or brewing local
brands under the company's technical su
pervision. Many of them are established
in Third World countries, with an espe
cially large concentration of brewing units
in Africa. Nigeria, for example, already
has three breweries in operation and a
fourth is in the planning stage. Replace
ment of Dutch expatriates by local mana
gers in these areas is steadily increasing
and the growing flow of trainees to Zoeter
woude reflects the trend. Most managers
who come to Holland for training have al
ready received basic tuition in their own
countries, followed by two or three years
of practical experience.
First priority is to familiarise them with
the company so that Heineken, instead of
being merely the name of a huge organiza
tion based in a far-off European country,
comes to mean people and a friendly
working environment. The process begins
immediately when the visitors meet Train
ing Centre personnel - Ir. P.E. Röhrig, his
two assistants and secretaries.
The ideal venue
The department has had long experience
of training personnel and is sympathetic to
the initial difficulties of communication
and occasional sense of isolation experien
ced by people settling into a new business
habitat. For this reason trainees form
groups of seven or eight, all following in-
smoother for knowing the personality be
hind the voice over the telephone or the
signature on a letter.
Different departments
Heineken training courses began on a
slightly sporadic basis a quarter-century
ago. Today, at any time throughout the
year, there is an average of 10 to 15 trai
nees at Zoeterwoude, comprising those
taking a first-training course of four to five
months' duration and others engaged on a
"supplementary" lasting anything from
one week to five months. First-training is
given in English during the first half-year
and in French for the remaining six
months. While studying at Zoeterwoude
trainee managers are resident at a hotel in
the nearby university town of Leiden and
are given facilities for personal transport.
Trainees may spend anything from one to
four weeks in different departments of
various Heineken breweries. French-
speaking students often stay for up to eight
weeks at the Albra breweries in France
where part of their work is undertaken in
seminars at the Nancy School of Brewing.
Engineers sometimes take "on the job"
courses at other facilities, for example in
welding or instrumentation or the study of
compressors at a supplier's plant. Wher
ever trainees may be, the underlying aim
is to leaven the technical content of train
ing with as much variety as is practicable.
And their response is expertly noted in
terms of initiative displayed and ability to
listen effectivelyA particularly important
insight into ability and power of observa
tion is afforded by each trainee's written
report on what he has seen and heard, with
emphasis on any differences between
dividual programmes but coming together
for technical periods, lectures and excur
sions. In this way any tendency to home
sickness is usually avoided. Each student
receives training in one of two main cate
gories covering respectively engineering
technology and the technique of brewing.
For these purposes Zoeterwoude is the
ideal venue, being in effect the Heineken
technical interface with all overseas units,
so that from time to time practically every
specialist based there performs a training
function. The Central Quality Control de
partment, for example, is responsible for
maintaining brewing standards and con
trolling quality worldwide. To this end it
is clearly a great advantage for both
members of the department and trainees to
meet; their future collaboration will be the
10
Teaching the technology of
a modern industry
