Learning at NS

NS encourages employees to keep developing themselves, and to keep learning. After all, the world around us is changing all the time. In 2022, NS invested over €8.5 million in training programmes and other educational interventions. Employees can learn and develop themselves within their current jobs or in other contexts. We train new employees at our own Learning Centre or facilitate their training via our Regional Training Centre (ROC) partners. It is important for NS to be able to train its own employees, including IT staff. We also ensure that our colleagues remain up to date by practising their professional skills and offering new knowledge. At our new Development Station, colleagues work on their own personal development, individually or in groups, for example by attending workshops.

Focus on professional expertise

In 2022, we developed a new learning pathway for junior train drivers, which has made it possible to double the inflow of drivers. We are also developing a training programme to enable the deployment of office staff and temporary workers as part-time colleagues on our trains.

In 2022, 21 new students embarked on their main guard training programme in Amersfoort, at vocational level, and NS employed 6 graduates who had completed it. Approximately 49 train drivers joined in 2022 through the Regional Training Centres in Amsterdam and Twente and STC. In addition, over 200 vocational education students did their work placements at NS as part of their train driver training programme. Internally, 159 main guards, 293 train drivers and 42 Safety & Service officers successfully completed their basic training. We are training 468 new colleagues for a job at NS Customer Service.

Rolling stock technology and TechniekFabriek

TechniekFabriek ('the technology factory') is our own technical vocational programme for current and prospective train mechanics. In 2022, 18 first-year students and 17 second-year students were doing a two-year apprenticeship in mechatronics. Last year, 17 students from TechniekFabriek moved on to a job within NS after obtaining their diploma. We also launched a training programme for lateral entry staff in 2022, enabling us to retrain engineers with a background outside mechatronics to become NS mechanics. This training programme is open to both employees on a permanent contract and temporary workers.

Retail training

NS runs its own vocational programme known as Stations Retail. This tailored programme trains employees in combining speed and quality of service, which is essential in view of the fact that passengers generally spend little time at the station. In 2022, 24 employees were doing a Principal Seller (9) or Retail Manager (15) vocational programme.