“Here, there’s an above-average capacity for execution.”
Jos van Kessel, Chair of the Executive Board of KWIC, in conversation with Nicolai Manie and Annelieke van Schie of Turner.
- To develop and retain talent for the Brabant region, Koning Willem I College offers corporate training for Lifelong Learning (LLO).
- To ensure staff and the organization are LLO-ready, KWIC, with the help of Turner, applied for a €2 million subsidy.
- Under high pressure, at a high level, and sometimes at the cutting edge, an ambitious yet practical proposal was completed in three months, ready for execution the day after approval.
Who says educational institutions take the summer off? A team from Koning Willem I College and Turner worked tirelessly throughout the summer of 2023 on a major subsidy application for Lifelong Learning (LLO). The first session took place in early July, and by mid-October, the proposal was successfully submitted: KWIC received the maximum grant of €2 million from the LLO catalyst.
“Here, there’s an above-average capacity for execution.”
1. What was the challenge for which Turner was brought in?
Van Kessel: “As KWIC, we want to develop and retain talent for the region. Through Lifelong Learning (LLO), we also offer training programs for companies. This is critically important, given the major challenges society faces. Labor shortages, aligning educational programs with the labor market, and the increasing demand for workers as the youth population declines. Add to that the rapid technological developments and AI advancements. Right now, we train people to become installers of electric heat pumps, but in five years, those could very well be hydrogen pumps.”
Reskilling and upskilling are becoming increasingly important, along with catering to career changers and newcomers. LLO is a response to these urgent challenges, but KWIC itself must also be prepared for this shift.”
2. Why was Turner needed?
To bring internal stakeholders along, you need energy and tools. KWIC was looking for ways to accelerate the organization’s LLO readiness. That’s precisely what the LLO subsidy is designed for: to further professionalize staff and give LLO a boost. Organizations could submit either a small or large application, and KWIC ambitiously chose to go for the maximum €2 million.
Van Kessel: “That was in early July 2023. The deadline for submitting the application was October 15, but summer vacation was around the corner, staff availability would be lower, and there was still a lot to be done.” That’s when Turner stepped in. KWIC and Turner had worked together before on a merger project. Van Kessel: “They were already familiar with the LLO catalyst and had significant expertise in subsidy applications.”
On July 9, the first session took place, and the initial ideas were already on the wall. The proposal ultimately focused on four activities. The first was to internalize the story so that everyone had the right LLO mindset and understood the urgency. Additionally, teachers need to be LLO-ready so that in the future, they can teach both in the classroom and in companies. LLO also demands different skills from administration and marketing teams. The entire organization must be prepared for different logistics, invoicing, and scheduling for companies. The fourth activity was innovation: KWIC wanted to make its educational offering modular and flexible with its own LLO programs.
Four main activities, that’s quite ambitious. Van Kessel: “The evaluation committee thought so too. Other applicants often had only one activity in their proposal. But the urgency was and still is high, and these four activities are closely interconnected.”
The Turners emphasize: “The goal of the subsidy program and your needs aligned perfectly. It wasn’t about searching for answers but answering a logical question. However, you need expertise to fit it precisely into the structure. We know the guidelines that a proposal must meet, and the fact that we already knew the context helped us make quick progress together, adding the sharpness needed to challenge each other.”
3. What was the breakthrough?
A subsidy application needs to be technically correct and clearly written, following a specific structure. The goal is to submit the proposal on time and according to the rules. The pitfall is getting too deep into the content.
Van Kessel: “From the first session, it was clear that Turner understood our needs. Their sharp questions made the meetings highly effective. We couldn’t have done it this way on our own. For example, how do you connect the four activities when making the budget? Turner put a lot of effort into that.”
Once the four main activities were clear, a budget, timeline, and presentation also had to be created. Activities were valued and prioritized. Nicolai: “That’s something missing from many other applications and added real value. But the client must also be open to this. We work with other parties submitting LLO applications, and sometimes they find our feedback too confrontational. The beauty of this collaboration was that we all kept our ‘eyes on the ball.’ We had to push hard to get it done. We made decisions together at the cutting edge and won. Being able to zoom in and out together was also a breakthrough. You trust each other and know: it will work, even if it’s not easy.”
The process involved tough discussions, but the vision remained intact, Van Kessel confirms. “Turner facilitated us and made sure we did it ourselves. Both KWIC and Turner brought in their expertise and kept each other sharp on both the process and content. That joint sharpness led to a proposal that stands solid. It now serves as an example for other applications. That’s really Turner’s strength: they helped us do it ourselves, which directly impacts successful execution.”
4. How was the execution established?
You can have a great plan on paper, but without ownership, it holds no value. At KWIC, the opposite is true. Nicolai: “There is above-average execution capacity here. Your action-oriented approach and ambition are contagious and genuinely help push the region forward. We drafted the plan with the mindset that you would be able to start implementing it by the following Monday. It’s very workable.”
Van Kessel: “A project team was set up, with a clear task list and project brief. It outlines exactly what each project line requires. Everyone involved knows what they are responsible for today and in the coming week. A Steering Committee within the college monitors progress and actively advises, for example, on teacher competencies. The pieces are falling into place. What was submitted on paper works, fits, and aligns perfectly with the vision, which is reflected in every aspect.”
From the outset, KWIC considered the capacity for execution. A flexible pool of staff is being created to ensure the college can meet the demand on time. The college faces external demands, which it must also manage internally. The milestone planning shows that much has already been achieved and that the remaining actions are on track.
Nicolai: “KWIC’s maturity and experience in working with project structures made it possible to embed the project structure directly into the proposal itself. This way, everyone knows exactly where the bridge leads: what, when, and how things need to be done.”
"From the very first session, it was clear that Turner understood our needs. Their sharp questions made the meetings highly effective. We couldn’t have done it this way on our own."
What was the biggest dilemma and how did you address it?
“That was the question: how are we going to manage this during the vacation period?” says Van Kessel.
Nicolai: “A process like this typically touches all levels of the organization. We started with an all-round team. However, with many people on vacation, we eventually wrote the application with just six people from the organization. That left me wondering: does it still sufficiently connect with the teachers? Did we engage enough stakeholders?”
The scale and ambition of the project were also reasons for Turner to continuously assess: do we have enough people for this, and is it feasible? Otherwise, that pot of money isn’t much use. Annelieke: “You can only do this if you believe it’s truly possible. For me, there was an additional dilemma. I know KWIC well and have deep connections within the organization. But is everyone else equally committed? We really want to deliver, that’s in our DNA.”
What are the benefits for all stakeholders?
“The benefits primarily lie in the fact that we can genuinely accelerate LLO through professionalization,” says Van Kessel. “This is good for businesses in the region, for students, for teachers, and for KWIC itself. Additionally, we’ve learned a lot from the entire process and the synergy created.”
The project team has learned a lot from Turner’s tools, both the tangible and the intangible ones. For example, the check-in used at the start of each session. It’s essential to establish: is everyone still aligned on the same goal? The goal is to win the grant. Is everyone doing the right things to achieve that? Turner also introduced various working methods to produce a lot in a short time and to dive deep in each session. Annelieke: “We call this ‘adding intelligence.’ Not just transcribing what’s on a board but adding logic, translating, and sometimes even going off course.”
The process of creating the application also involved a lot of laughter and pushing boundaries. Nicolai and Annelieke: “When there’s both friction and shine, that’s when you get the best results in a project like this. It’s magical. The project team then develops its own dynamic and language. You can feel: something is happening here. That leads to personal growth for everyone. And it was just fun to wrestle with the material.”
The moment the subsidy was awarded, it felt like a victory for everyone. Van Kessel: “During the presentation to the subsidy committee, it became clear that KWIC had fully internalized the story and could convey it convincingly. The story is also reflected in departmental plans and communication materials. Those are equally important benefits.”
Jos van Kessel, Chair of the Executive Board of KWIC
Annelieke van Schie
Director Onderwijs at Turner
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