The Owl’s Nest

Working and learning at The Owl’s Nest

At The Owl’s Nest it is not only about machines, projects and repairs, but first and foremost about people. Much of the knowledge in the workshop lives in hands, ears and eyes: in someone who can hear from the sound whether an amplifier is set up correctly, in someone who can feel when a plane is adjusted well, and in someone who has made thousands of solder joints. Those people are here now, but not forever. Working and learning at The Owl’s Nest is about passing that knowledge on step by step, and continuing to practise and explore together.

The world has become busier: social media, flexible contracts, performance pressure and constant stimuli make it harder to really focus on something. Skills you learn with your hands need time, repetition and a place where you are allowed to make mistakes. The Owl’s Nest wants to be such a place: a workshop where you can spend time, gradually get better at something, and where experienced people can share their craftsmanship with new generations.

Who is working and learning for?

Working and learning at The Owl’s Nest is for people who want more than a one-off workshop or a single visit. For example:

• If you want to become skilled at something

  You do not just want to hold a saw once or solder a single circuit board, but really understand what you are doing. You are looking for a place you can return to, where you can work on projects and build up a skill step by step: woodworking, metalwork, electronics, glass, textiles or a combination of these.

• If you want to share your craft

  You have many years of experience in a trade – for example as a furniture maker, electrician, precision mechanic, instrument maker, technology teacher or another technical profession; and you do not want that experience to stay in storage at home. You enjoy being in the workshop, explaining things now and then and helping younger or less experienced people find their way in a real workspace, without it having to become a classroom lesson.

• As a volunteer or intern

  You want to help keep the workshop running and learn yourself at the same time. That can mean practical tasks (tidying up, coffee corner, preparing materials), joining in and helping with projects, or an internship in which you are present in the workshop for a number of fixed half days per week. Together we look at what fits your background, education and goals.

What you will and will not find here

The Owl’s Nest is not a tightly structured company with job descriptions and performance reviews, but it is also not a completely open drop-in space where everyone just does whatever they like. We are looking for people who want to take responsibility in a way that suits them, and who are willing to learn, to coordinate with others and to take the people around them into account.

Working and learning with us means, for example:

• that you get time to practise and grow, but also show up at the times we agree on;
• that you are allowed to make mistakes, as long as you are willing to talk about them and learn from them;
• that you are part of the whole: sometimes working on your own project, sometimes helping someone else or doing a task for the workshop;
• that you are not “free labour”, but part of a learning community where learning and contributing go hand in hand.

We think a safe atmosphere is important. That means among other things: no alcohol or drugs while working, treating each other with respect, attention to calm and sensory load, and clear agreements on the use of heavier machines and equipment. If something does not feel right or boundaries are crossed, we talk about it. If needed, we involve referrers or organisations, especially when it concerns safety at home or serious concerns.

The role of trajectories and partnerships

Some of the people who work and learn with us come via an organisation: for example a school, a reintegration provider, a youth care organisation or another support service. In those cases we make agreements with the referrer about goals, duration and feedback. Working and learning in the workshop then becomes part of a broader trajectory. You can find more information about this on the For professionals page.

If you come on your own initiative, without an organisation behind you, we look together at what you are looking for: do you mainly want to gain experience, become skilled at something, join as a volunteer, or are you looking for a place to work on your own future? We adjust the arrangements to your situation and to what the workshop can handle at that moment in terms of capacity and guidance.

Connection with the foundation and vacancies

The Owl’s Nest is part of the IRADIS Foundation / ASK-Solutions. Sometimes there are foundation-wide roles, board positions or formal internships that go beyond the workshop alone. Those vacancies and roles are not listed on this page, but on the foundation’s main site.

Would you like to know which formal vacancies, internships or board positions are currently open? Then have a look at the foundation’s main site: the IRADIS Foundation / ASK-Solutions. This page about working and learning is specifically about taking part in and around the workshop, in the day-to-day practice of The Owl’s Nest.

How to apply

If working and learning at The Owl’s Nest appeals to you, the best first step is to briefly tell us something about yourself. Tell us who you are, what you have roughly done so far (or not yet), what you would like to do or learn and how much time you have available. This does not need to be a long letter; a few clear sentences are enough to start with.

You can contact us via the Make an appointment page. We will then schedule a calm introductory meeting in the workshop. In that conversation we look together at:

• your motivation and possibilities;
• which role or combination of roles (learning, working along, supporting others) suits you;
• on which days and times you could come;
• and what you need in order to be able to work and learn comfortably (for example calm, a smaller team, clear structure).

We cannot take on unlimited numbers of people. Sometimes there is a short waiting list or we need to find the right moment to start together. We prefer to be honest about that, rather than promising too many people that there is space straight away. If you are unsure whether The Owl’s Nest is the right place for you, feel free to send us a message; we are happy to think along with you and will also say it clearly if another form or place would be a better fit.