Marcel is 22 years old, comes from Papenburg and began his apprenticeship as a barge skipper with NVG (Niedersächsische Verfrachtungsgesellschaft GmbH) in 2020. Before this, he completed a commercial apprenticeship. During that time he quickly realised that his real interests lay in technical areas.
He came to inland navigation thanks to his father and is now in the fourth generation on board an inland barge. He served previously on the Niedersachsen 1 and the Niedersachsen 9. Since he was able to reduce the length of his apprenticeship thanks to the training he had completed beforehand, he finished his apprenticeship in December 2022.
To compensate: Football on the pitch and on the console
Alongside his profession, Marcel is a passionate footballer. When he leaves the barge on a Wednesday, he first starts the washing machine and then goes straight to the sports ground. Because of the shift system, he cannot attend every training session.
But to keep fit on board, he sometimes goes jogging after his shift ends. Michael relaxes by watching Netflix or playing Fifa. Sometimes he does this extremely well. Last hear he was a winner in his region in a 2 vs. 2 tournament, after which he was invited to an e-sports tournament in Berlin with his best friend. ‘It was really cool to be able to experience an event like that as an actual participant’.
An apprenticeship like no other
He enjoyed the apprenticeship very much, because it allowed plenty of time outdoors, he saw a lot and the work hours also afforded a lot of free-time opportunities. ‘The two weeks of non-working shift feel like a holiday. It’s not like that in many jobs.’. Even if he has had to miss a few birthdays or celebrations because of being on the barge, his family and friends have come to adapt themselves to the rhythm of his shifts.
‘You have to have no problem with being away from home for a couple of weeks.’. Clearly he has no such problem, as he described his apprenticeship with NVG as his best work-related decision yet, as he is also on excellent terms with his colleagues.
You have to have no problem with being away from home for a couple of weeks. I and the people around me have adjusted to it well.
Vocational and personal goals in clear sight
Now, having finished the apprenticeship, I’d like to move into an apartment of my own and to gain all the certificates I need to one day become a captain. On top of this, he would like to buy a new car. Recently, however, he spent a few more weeks back at school at the Schiffer-Berufskolleg Rhein, where topics including waterway and water traffic theory, engine technology, hydraulics and radar are taught.
The practical exercises at the college and on board have prepared him ideally for his final examination, and these are what he enjoyed the most. ‘The trips on the simulator are always a special highlight.’