SEW Energy

Patrick de Best is a resource planner at SEW Energy. “That means that I fill out all the jobs that we have to do on location. SEW Energy is a construction and piping company. So we do pipework, specifically in the oil and gas sector. To do this, we regularly need people who can work offshore, such as welders, fitters and foremen. These people must be trained and meet all kinds of conditions, in addition to the conditions that apply to work ashore. Then I can call on C&M.”

Patrick has been working at SEW Energy for over 11 years. “We work in the North Sea and ashore, for example in Den Helder and Alkmaar. There are parties in oil and gas for whom we provide the piping and construction. Sometimes we need a lot of people for that and sometimes a lot less. In this industry, it's either running or standing still. We have a number of our own people. But offshore has colder months, approximately from December to February, where it is not always possible to work at sea due to high waves or fog, for example. Helicopters don't always fly or boats can't land at a platform. If you then have a lot of people sitting at home, the costs naturally increase. That's why we prefer to hire extra workers when it's busy.”

Efficient

C&M is a secondment agency for technical staff and specializes in the type of staff that SEW Energy needs. “I don't find them at every employment agency,” says Patrick. “For that, you really need a party that knows the industry and knows what the requirements are.” If someone is available, C&M ensures that they can get to work. “Of course, our busy time is a busy time, even for other companies. The world is quite specific and so the pool is small. That does make it difficult. But I also know that I won't find anyone if I move to a 'normal' secondment agency. Maybe someone specializes in pipework, but not necessarily offshore. And that is definitely 80 to 90% of our work. If someone can go offshore, I can also leave them ashore. The other way around, that's not necessarily the case.”

In addition to C&M, SEW Energy also works with other specialized agencies. “They all deliver professionals. For me, the added value of C&M lies mainly in the pleasant contact and the fact that they can deliver many people from the region. It is quite difficult to get people out of the Netherlands in the offshore sector. In a busy period, I work with maybe fifteen nationalities. Then it is a challenge to make a mix in which not one nationality prevails. When I staff a platform with mostly Portuguese people, they speak Portuguese among themselves, so the rest don't understand. If I have two Portuguese, two Englishmen, three Dutch people and a Pole, everyone speaks English and communication is easier. In addition, C&M can deliver not only Dutch people, but also more than average from North Holland. This saves a lot of time and costs. If I let someone from abroad come, but also if I have to let someone from Apeldoorn come to Den Helder, you will soon have to deal with overnight stays and traveling. Someone from Hoorn just drives back and forth with their own car.”

Administratively, there may also be a difference between foreign forces and Dutch forces. Patrick: “That's not so bad for us. We simply receive an invoice and the agencies we hire from will take care of the rest. They are screened for compliance with all laws and regulations. For example, that is also why, in the case of a self-employed person, I will always opt for mediation by an agency like C&M. Imagine that you have fifty freelancers. So you also have fifty separate contracts and fifty separate contacts about invoices and the like. This makes everything more efficient.”

In order

Patrick knows what to expect from C&M. “We have now worked with many of their people. You know what you get and what you get from it. Once I have the names, it's up to me to report them to the customers and finalize the schedule. Then it's just a matter of picking up the check-in time and reporting it to C&M, which works great. Here, too, I make one phone call and they then pass it on to people. If I had to do that myself, I would sometimes have to call forty people one day.” He also knows that C&M supplies people who have their papers in order. “They know what it takes for what type of job. On some platforms, for example, you need an additional type of certificate in addition to the qualifications for work, but I don't need to explain that to them. I always check everything, but it's actually always in order at C&M. What I also really like is their welder summaries. These are lists that show what they can weld for each welder. They can have about twenty different certificates and each job requires its own combination of skills in areas such as material type, wall thickness and diameters. When I get a welder from C&M, I can see at a glance what he can do under what standard.”

With the colder months ahead, contact with C&M is slightly less frequent. Patrick: “That's true, but it also gives us the space to look ahead as much as possible. I just got in touch with them yesterday about next year. Things are already looking good for SEW, so I want to get there as early as possible to secure our staff. It's then nice to have as many C&M people as possible and to supplement the rest with agencies that are a little further away.” He is happy with the opportunity to consult. “The relationship is very open and easy. It's business, of course, but it doesn't feel like that. I'm usually in contact with Cees Westrik and, in fact, I've been working here for as long as I've been working here. That's always a good thing. We are open and honest with each other, even when it becomes difficult to bring supply and demand together.”

Patrick doesn't want to talk about C&M too positively. “If the competitors also work with C&M, I will soon have too few people,” he says. “But no, aside from that, the quality of their work is just really good. They do what they promise. When available, they provide the people you need.”