Choose Hydraulics

The hydraulic engineering sector has been struggling with a shortage of technical staff for years. Young people are massively choosing other sectors while hydraulic engineering is one of the most challenging and innovative sectors in the Netherlands. The Netherlands builds world-leading waterworks. Bridges, ports, coastal reinforcement, offshore wind farms. This requires skilled people who can and want to do this work.

The problem: young people hardly know what hydraulic engineering entails. The sector has a stuffy image when the reality is just the opposite. High-tech machinery, international projects, work on and around the water. It is one of the most varied and meaningful sectors there is.

The assignment was clear: build a platform that shows young people from VMBO to VWO level what hydraulic engineering really is. That piques their interest, helps them discover which profession suits them and shows them the way to the right education.

Kieswaterbouw.nl was launched by the Association of Hydraulic Engineers in 2022 as a central part of their labour market communication. PixelDeluxe took over the platform and completely rebuilt it to Craft CMS for a more robust and manageable technical base.

In December 2025, we implemented a completely revised design based on a new campaign. The visual design was provided by an external creative agency as a Figma file. We translated that design into a working, responsive website that connects seamlessly with young people's experiences.

At the heart of the platform is the interactive occupational test. Young people indicate what level of education they are following and answer a series of questions about their interests. Based on the answers, they discover which marine engineering professions suit them, from crane operator and skipper to hydrographer, diver and environmental manager. Each profession describes what the work entails, what training is required and at which educational institutions it can be followed.

An extensive training overview links each profession to specific courses at institutions such as STC, Nova College and TU Delft. The agenda shows open days of training institutes and education fairs such as the Onderwijsbeurs West in Ahoy, so that young people can immediately make the step from interest to action.

The campaign around the platform focuses heavily on social media. TikTok and Instagram are used to show the tough and innovative side of the sector through video content. The website has direct links to these channels to maintain interaction with the target audience.

The visual design of kieswaterbouw.nl was developed by an external creative agency and delivered as a developed Figma file. Our role was the technical realisation: to pixel-perfectly convert the Figma design into a working, responsive website.

That sounds simpler than it is. A good design on paper still doesn't always work directly on a screen. Animations, interactive elements, responsive behaviour on mobile, tablet and desktop - all these translations require technical expertise and an eye for detail. The result is a website that looks exactly as intended, on any device.

Craft CMS as the basis for content management. Tailwind CSS for front-end styling. Blitz for static caching and maximum loading speed. SEOmatic for full technical SEO. Freeform as a forms engine. Sherlock for continuous security monitoring. Interactive appeal test built with JavaScript. Fully responsive on desktop, tablet and mobile.

Kieswaterbouw.nl is the water construction industry's central recruitment platform for young people. The interactive profession test helps young people discover which profession suits them. The training overview shows them the way to the right school. The calendar keeps them informed about open days and education fairs.

The platform is part of the broader digital infrastructure that PixelDeluxe has built together with the O&O Fund for Hydraulic Engineering for the hydraulic engineering sector.

A good recruitment platform is more than just a pretty website. It has to understand the target group, speak their language and give them the right information at the right time. Young people facing a career choice do not need long texts about the hydraulic engineering sector. They want to know what the work is, whether it suits them and how to get there.

That focus on the user, in this case a 17-year-old who does not yet know what he wants to be,shaped every design decision. From the occupational test to the training overview to the diary.