Klik hier voor een Nederlandse versie. No doubt you have once owned a Kipling handbag, an Eastpak or Jansport backpack, an Eagle Creek travel bag, a Napapijiri T-shirt, a The North Face fleece, Vans shoes, Reef slippers or a Lee, Wrangler or 7 For All Mankind jeans. All these brands are marketed by VF Corporation, the biggest clothing company in the world. Originally an American company, the European branch also has a Belgian head office. At VF Corp's request, Catena Company gave a number of their European staff members a Mac OS X Support Essentials Training. The aim was to provide support to the company for the integration of Apple's operating system in their current Windows environment.

The switch from Windows to Mac computers

'For a long time we have felt the need that the staff of the IT - part of Global Business Technology (GBT), a coalition that manages and supports all systems around VF - , Marketing and Design departments should switch to Mac computers', says Rainer De Moor, IT Area Lead Western Europe at VF. 'A survey of our employees showed that a training course would be a good idea.' VF Europe contacted Catena Company for this.

Apart from a head office in the Swiss city of Lugano, VF Europe also has a head office in the Belgian town of Bornem. However, for the three-day Apple training, Catena Company parked its 'mobile classroom' full of Mac equipment in Sint-Niklaas. VF Europe has an old branch in Sint-Niklaas which is still regularly used as a meeting and training room.

'Instead of private courses for all employees we opted for one central training session. VF employees from all over Europe, more specifically the UK, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, took part.'
'English is the working language in our company', continues De Moor. 'That is why the Catena Company instructors gave this Apple Training in English. Moreover, without exception, all participants were positive about the instructors' teaching methods.'

Catena's Mac OS X Support Essentials Training was also interactive, and customised for VF Europe. A bonus, according to De Moor. 'The training was hands-on. All participants had a Mac for themselves. Everything the instructor said could immediately be tested on the computer and it also meant the right questions were asked.'

According to Rainer De Moor, Catena Company's Apple training exceeded the expectations of the VF staff. 'The subject matter was even discussed over lunch. And at the same time the training was like team building: VF employees from all over Europe were able to meet in person and get to know one another. This stimulates collaboration.'

'Afterwards, we spoke about the training internally', says Rainer De Moor. 'One of the objectives of the Mac OS X Support Essentials Training is that participants are able to obtain a certification. As far as I know, at least one person managed to obtain a certification which proves that the training was good. All staff members agreed that this kind of training was worth doing again. For now, only a small number of VF Corp employees followed the training, but maybe the rest of our staff will also follow an Apple training later.'

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