Ensuring that train traffic runs smoothly is an important task of the traffic controllers at ProRail. Making sure this is done safely is even more important. Safety comes first and that can sometimes clash with the importance of getting travelers to the right place as quickly as possible.
Over deze rubriek
In Wat doet en verdient een… bespreken we een beroep dat deze week in het nieuws was – prominent of juist onopvallend, maar in ieder geval als een onmisbaar onderdeel van dat nieuws.
Just this week, ProRail was in the news negatively due to the disruption around Amsterdam, which started on Sunday afternoon and was not resolved until late morning on Monday. As a result, hundreds of travelers were stranded in Utrecht and Amsterdam. For example, about 150 visitors to a Harry Styles concert had to spend the night in the Amsterdam Ziggo Dome.
As a traffic controller you need nerves of steel. You are also only eligible after you have successfully completed an entire process. As a recruiter at ProRail, Florian van Koningsbruggen knows all about this. “You will be put through the mill before you can get started, but there is also a nice starting salary,” he says.
That starting salary is at least 3,072 euros gross. “The salary can then rise to 4,522 euros.” The training, which you must follow first, is also paid.
This training, which every air traffic controller must complete, lasts eight months. But before you can start, you have to prove that you have it in you.
The second key is a game
“Applicants first receive two assessments (suitability tests, ed.)”, says Van Koningsbruggen. “The first examination is a personality and ability test.” This involves looking at the communication and analytical skills of potential air traffic controllers. The test should also show how good someone is with numbers.
If you pass the first test, you can also take the second. “That is a game developed by ProRail that is very similar to the work we do. It is somewhat similar to the 112 emergency center game.” In the game, a train goes from station to station. “A lot happens along the way. You also get a call, you get pop-ups with information, in short: a lot of stimuli, just like in the real situation.”
Then you have to prioritize. The safety of travelers is always the first priority. You have to be able to keep an eye on many different screens. That is what the work largely consists of.
Irregularity surcharge up to 700 euros
Only when a prospective traffic controller has passed the tests is he invited to take a look at ProRail. “We first want to know whether it has a chance of success.” This is followed by a psychological examination and a medical examination by the government.
The air traffic controllers work in three shifts. “The irregularity allowance can amount to 700 euros gross per month,” says Van Koningsbruggen. And of course you will receive an NS card to travel freely. “A fixed mileage allowance is also possible.” And every month, 13.61 percent of the gross salary comes into a jar that includes holiday pay and year-end bonus.
2023-06-11 11:16:02
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