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‘More young people should consider this training programme’
Training as a maritime officer in Vlissingen
At HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen, you can follow the higher professional maritime officer training programme. We spoke with two enthusiastic students, Kees Krombeen and Reinier van Setten, about the programme and their future at sea. They already have their careers mapped out. On the bridge or in the engine room of a cruise ship.
After his secondary vocational training as a seafarer, Kees Krombeen (25) opted for the shortened three-year higher professional training to become a maritime officer. He's in his third year now. Reinier van Setten (19) has a pre-university background and is in the second year of the standard four-year higher professional programme. For both students, family members played an important role in their choice of study. Kees: “My uncle works in shipping. He took me to visit a cruise ship once. That made me very excited.” Reinier had more or less the same experience. “My father used to sail with the Holland America Line and a cousin of mine does now. My cousin once showed me around on one of this shipping company's cruise ships. The engine room was very inspiring.”
No nine to five job But there's more to the choice. Kees: “The adventurous nature of the profession appeals to me. I'm not someone for a standard desk job from nine to five. On a ship working closely with a crew really appeals to me. And you also get to know people from all sorts of cultures.” Reinier: "I find travelling interesting. And I like the idea that at sea, you have to do everything yourself as a team. Without outside help. I also think it's interesting to work with all those different technical systems that are combined on a ship.” Both opted for the training in Vlissingen because of its small scale. For Reinier, the fact that his father and cousin were also trained here played a role. Kees had another reason: “I deliberately chose not to study in Rotterdam or Amsterdam. I was afraid I'd get too enthusiastic about the extensive nightlife there. You don't have that in Vlissingen. It was a bit of a shock when I came to live here. I only found three bars here. But that also has a positive side: less distraction. That means I can better focus on my studies.”
Cool profession What did the friends of Kees and Reinier think of their choice for going to sea? Kees: “They jokingly called me 'sailor' for a while. But when I started telling them more about it, they became more positive. Then it was “what a cool profession”. They think it's very special that I'm going to see a lot of the world.” Reinier also had to convince others. “My fellow pre-university pupils found it rather odd. Opting for maritime training is not the most obvious choice among such types. When I explained what the profession involved, a different picture emerged. In fact, some classmates also started to sniff the sea air and became interested in the training.”
Kees Krombeen:‘The adventurous nature of the profession appeals to me. I'm not someone for a standard desk job from nine to five'
Reinier van Setten: Training as a maritime officer is very specialised, but at the same time so broad that you have a variety of possibilities'
Kees has opted for a nautical specialisation in his training: “I want to be a helmsman and later captain. I prefer standing on the bridge. I'm very interested in the technique of manoeuvring. And I also think it's very cool to be at the head of a crew and bear final responsibility for a ship. I should point out that I've already sailed. During my secondary vocational training, I did two internships at the Holland America Line. I really liked that. The crew were great. They were very willing to teach me anything.” Reinier also has an internship with the Holland America Line in mind and after the training he would like to work for this shipping company, just like Kees. Regarding his training, he says: "I can't yet choose between nautical and technical specialisation. That's why I'm going to do both."
Wooden rudder and parchment sea charts Do both students want to continue sailing until they retire? Reinier: “I want to sail for a few years first. Then I want to go to university to get my master's degree in this subject. I don't know how long I'll be at sea after that. If I'm going to start a family, I might opt for a job ashore.” Kees: “My current goal is to sail. But if I want to work ashore later on, this higher professional diploma will come in handy.” Reinier agrees: “Training as a maritime officer is very specialised, but at the same time so broad that you have a variety of possibilities. This means you can work at technical and many other companies. For this reason too, more young people should consider this training programme.” Kees: “People sometimes still think of a seafarer as a man with long sideburns, standing by a wooden rudder and reading his course from parchment sea charts, ha ha ha. But the opposite is true. The training is very modern. We're learning here to work with the latest nautical technology.”
Something for a rainy day Anyone with a higher in rank in the shipping industry can earn good money. Is this also a motive for the future seamen? Kees: “It's a nice but not essential part of the job. But you shouldn't opt for this profession because of the financial rewards.” Reinier agrees: “You shouldn't do this for the money, you choose it because working on a ship appeals to you. This work also offers all kinds of other benefits. What about visiting all those nice seaports? When you're on a cruise ship, that's all part of the job.” Finally, perhaps a slightly odd question to ask students who are still at the very beginning of their careers. But we're going to ask it anyhow: have you thought about your financial future? Kees: “My dad always told me that in life I should do what makes me happy. But he also said that I should create a financial buffer in case things go less well. When I'm earning my own income, that's something I'll certainly do.” Reinier also received similar advice: “My parents told me that I should always put something away for a rainy day. And that it's important that my pension is properly arranged. As soon as I set sail, that's something I'll be investigating.”
Training with a lot of opportunities
The maritime officer training in Vlissingen goes back to 1903, when the 'Vereniging Zeevaartschool' was founded in this port town on the Westerschelde estuary. Later, the school was renamed after the Netherlands’ most famous naval hero: Maritime Institute De Ruyter. Nowadays the training programme is part of the HZ University of Applied Sciences. “We offer a full-time higher professional training programme to become a maritime officer”, says tutor and training coordinator Peter Harts. “You are taught nautical and technical subjects. In the third year, you can specialise to become a helmsman or marine engineer. Once you work in the profession and gain sufficient sailing experience, you can become a captain or chief engineer.” For this course, you need to have the right secondary school diploma as well as a certain attitude. Peter Harts typifies it as follows: “You have to have an interest in technology, but you also have to be adventurous. Loving to travel, wanting to see the world. It is also very important that you are a doer and a team player with a great sense of responsibility and a solution-oriented attitude."
By no means every higher professional training in the Netherlands provides good job opportunities. According to Peter Harts it is different here. “Our students can do an internship at the various shipping companies, thanks to our successful cooperation with the Royal Association of Dutch Shipowners. If both parties agree, there is a big chance the student can be employed. This could be at Spliethoff, Wagenborg, Holland America Line, Stena Line or Anthony Veder.” It is a well-known fact that some seafarers, once they settle down, prefer to work ashore. What does the training have to offer in that case? Peter Harts: “A lot. We train not only for the shipping industry, but also for the entire maritime sector. And that sector's pretty big ashore. Once you have completed your training and you have sailed for a number of years, there are good job opportunities available in the sector. But also elsewhere. A marine engineer with experience, for example, can easily find work at numerous technical companies.”←
More about HZ University of Applied Sciences can be found at www.hz.nl/en.