Community workshop – The Owl’s Nest

Internships and work experience

The Owl’s Nest is one of the projects of IRADIS Foundation / ASK-Solutions in Haarlem-Noord. Through the foundation we connect technology, knowledge-sharing, digital self-reliance and (local) wellbeing work. The Owl’s Nest is the workshop project where this becomes tangible for many people; internships and practical learning can also sit more broadly within our foundation work.

Schools often look for places where pupils and students do not only “gain knowledge”, but also develop work habits, structure and practical feel. With us that is a foundation-wide principle: learning happens through doing — in contained assignments, projects and routines with a clear start and finish, matched to level and feasibility.

We offer different formats: from orientation/work experience (one day to one week) to stage-fit build-up in small weekly moments. For HBO/WO we can also supervise longer placements. These often focus on office-based project work (software, documentation, design/research), with targeted workshop moments on location where appropriate.

For MBO we mainly focus on orientation/work experience and stage-fit build-up, plus practical assignments that fit our setting and supervision.

Not sure whether this fits a pupil, student or programme? A short conversation gives clarity quickly.

Which format fits which question?

In education terms, this often comes down to one of these routes:

Orientation/work experience (1 day to 1 week, sometimes a bit longer): a realistic view of roles, fields and workshop rhythm.
Stage-fit build-up (e.g. 2 hours or a half day per week): practising arriving, starting, finishing, agreements, focus and cooperation.
Longer internship/placement (mainly HBO/WO; weeks to months): substantive project work and structured participation with clear learning objectives.

We can easily take BOL/BBL into account in the conversation: some learning objectives require a continuous period or fixed blocks, while others fit better in a small weekly rhythm. We focus on what is feasible within your programme requirements and our supervision capacity.

What students work on with us

We choose tasks and projects that fit the level and capacity. The goal is not “a lot”, but consistent and finishable: small steps that add up.

Broadly, we work in three tracks:

Making and technology: 3D printing, prototypes, electronics and hardware projects, measuring and testing, small repairs, workshop safety and tool routines, and car projects focused on modifying/building/testing (not: car mechanic work).
Software and development: free software projects (such as Nocterra and others), documentation, tooling and development in e.g. PHP, Java, C++ and Python; where appropriate also embedded work (C, low-level) and microcontroller projects (Arduino/Raspberry Pi).
Organisation, walk-in and workshops: welcoming people and keeping overview, workshop preparation, supporting as a workshop assistant, planning/alignment, and communication/documentation. This often matches programmes in communication/creative business, office & management support, event organisation, facilities/hospitality, teaching assistant training and social work. (Sometimes also Applied Psychology/Pedagogy when learning goals are about activation and guidance in a non-clinical setting; not: shadowing treatment, diagnostics or client files.)

Not every location offers the same options. For an overview, see: /about-the-workshop/locations.

Supervision and assessment

We are known for clear, practical supervision. Where needed, one-to-one supervision is possible.

Clear boundaries: what is the task, what counts as “done”, and how do we keep it feasible?
Work habits: being on time, agreements, communication, focus and safe working.
Early signalling: if attention, attendance or effort becomes an issue, we feed back quickly.
Assessment in consultation: often jointly with student and teacher, including visit(s) on location and written feedback.

We prefer concrete learning objectives: rhythm, planning, cooperation, building responsibility and delivering visible results.

Setup and start of internship or work experience

Alignment

Goal, level, conditions, desired format (orientation, stage fit, placement) and point of contact.
Introduction

A tour and a short trial: landing briefly, getting a feel for the setting, and assessing feasibility together.
Agreements

Hours/blocks, tasks, learning objectives, evaluation moments and how feedback will work.
Start

We start as agreed. Then we fine-tune the content based on progress and learning objectives.

Practical: contact and capacity

Work experience days and internships usually start with contact from the pupil or student themselves. After that we align briefly with the programme to ensure planning and agreements are correct.

In practice:

VMBO orientation: the pupil explores options, the school chooses along, and we set agreements together. This prevents confusion between school and workplace.
HBO/WO placement: the student usually chooses independently. A short alignment beforehand between school and foundation works best; after that the student often arranges practical matters themselves.
Base location: depending on the type, this is either our office or the Paul Krugerstraat location.
Capacity: guideline of a maximum of 3 interns at the same time to safeguard quality.

Places are limited, so planning matters. A short conversation beforehand prevents disappointment.

Compensation and agreements

Schools generally do not pay us for supervision; this falls under our knowledge-sharing mission. For longer, continuous internships where structural work is performed, an (expense) allowance may be appropriate. We agree this in advance, in line with duration and responsibilities.

Project-based education and external assignments

We are cautious with project-based education as an “external assignment” when the client is barely involved. We only do this when the student genuinely practises practical alignment, processing feedback and delivering to an active stakeholder.

For us, it works well when:

there is clear ownership from the start (access and management);
there are fixed feedback moments with client and teacher;
the scope is realistic within the available time;
school and supervisors actively take responsibility for planning.

Consultation and introduction

Would you like to arrange orientation, stage-fit build-up, or discuss a placement? Get in touch. We are happy to think along and we will be honest about what is feasible at this time.

Make an appointment

Short consultation about format, learning objectives and feasibility.

Go to make an appointment

Education collaboration

More than internships: collaboration, routes and funding.

Go to collaboration

Back to education

Back to the overview and the other education routes.

Back to education

Community workshop – The Owl’s Nest

Internships and work experience

Not sure whether this fits a pupil, student or programme? A short conversation gives clarity quickly.

Which format fits which question?

What students work on with us

Supervision and assessment

Setup and start of internship or work experience

Alignment

Introduction

Agreements

Start

Practical: contact and capacity

Compensation and agreements

Project-based education and external assignments

Consultation and introduction

Make an appointment

Education collaboration

Back to education

For professionals

Referrals & social map

Key information

Short consultation