Interview Jean Baptiste
Jean Baptiste is one of our trainees in warehouse logistics. He is currently in his third year of his vocational training as warehouse logistics specialist.
How did you hear about Ingram Micro? How did you find the vocational training?
I've been working at Ingram since the site was opened in 2017 and I proactively worked towards the vocational training. I always want to learn something new and then I asked my employer if it would be possible to start a vocational training programme. Back then, there was no official vocational training programme at Ingram. It took some time, but in the end I received some positive feedback and I started my vocational training.
What are you looking forward to the most when you go to work? What motivates you?
For me, it's my colleagues. You've probably noticed that there's a lot of people I get along with (he's always waving at colleagues passing us). I have a lot of friends here – in the warehouse and the office. I think another motivation for coming to work is learning something new everyday. When I started working here, we had a different warehouse system and the switch meant that we all had more to learn. I like learning new things.
What is your relationship with your training instructors? Do you learn a lot from them? Are they there for you?
Our training instructors are always there for us. We can contact them on different platforms – via MS Teams or WhatsApp. If one of us has a problem, they can always contact the training instructors to help them solve it.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your vocational training?
Unfortunately, Covid-19 changed a lot here and there are many safety measures we have to follow. Usually, you work close together with others, which also creates a nice atmosphere in the warehouse. But now we have to wear a mask and keep a minimum distance.
What are you most proud of? What's something you couldn't believe you'd be doing a few months ago?
I've always shown great performance and people recognised that. In the future, I'd like to have more responsibility, have a better overview and learn leadership skills. I'm now at the end of my vocational training and I'm very proud of everything I've learnt. I think there's still a lot for me to learn and experience.
What's your plan once you finished your vocational training? Do you already have a career plan in mind?
I will stay at Ingram because that's my goal. I've been working here for a long time – in the warehouse and the office. I've already seen a lot here at work. I personally think continuous learning is important, and that's something I'd like to pass on.
What's something pupils should bring to the table to successfully master the vocational training?
It's important to be willing to learn, and to support others – being a team player is essential. If you don't know something, it's okay and no reason to make fun of others. It's important to be helpful and stick together.
The people at Ingram Micro are a really good team. The company takes great care of the trainees and our training instructors are really great.
