Thomas is 23 years old, comes from Troisdorf and before starting his apprenticeship as a barge skipper he had already completed a commercial apprenticeship. After this he took a look at what vocational opportunities were still available. Yet even after the career of barge skipper came up for him following a test with employment agency, he was not interested in this profession at first.
By chance, however, his father resumed contact after 20 years with a friend who worked with HGK Shipping as a captain and who suggested in the course of the conversation that Thomas could do an internship onboard. ‘Even then I still wasn’t convinced. But after I did the two-week internship I was blown away, and I realised that this career really could be something for me.’ So, following this internship, he decided to start an apprenticeship as a barge skipper, and has now been part of the crew of Argie since 2022.
Best career decision
He was surprised by the reactions of his friends to his career choice: ‘Many people have a completely wrong notion in their heads and are therefore scared away from this job.’ But for him it is like an adventure. Even if at first he was worried, as a family man, about the effects of his long absences during his onboard shifts on his family life, and he may have missed some things at home at first, he still describes his choice of an apprenticeship in inland navigation as the best decision of his working life.
‘I am sure that I’d have regretted it later if I hadn’t at least given it a try.’ Thomas has also learned to enjoy the free time that he has on the barge: he uses this to engage with himself and his Christian beliefs. His belief was an anchor for him in difficult times, and he continues to place his trust in it today.
Apprenticeship as an education for life
Alongside the things that he learns in the course of his apprenticeship, he is also learning a few things about life: ‘Because I live with my parents, they do a certain amount for me, but on the boat I have had to learn to take on a lot of responsibility for myself.’ Even the fact that he had had no technical experience before the apprenticeship, because he came from a commercial background, was not a problem.
‘I was very lucky with my onboard colleagues. Right from the start I could pitch in and always felt useful and not like a useless extra. When the mood onboard is good, you can say that this is a dream job.’ Only when the dish on board is pea stew does his opinion differ from that of his colleagues. He really doesn’t like it at all.
When I did the two-week internship I was blown away, and I realised that this career really could be something for me.
First sleep, then sports and travelling
When Thomas comes home after his shift, he takes the opportunity first to catch up on some sleep. The day of the shift changeover is often tiring, since he leaves the ship early in the morning and then has the journey home. In his free time he’s a keen sportsman and interested in all types of sport. On Mondays he meets his friends to play football. But as well as sports, Thomas likes to be able to discover new things.
Recently he discovered travelling, which is something that can be well combined with his job as he can travel during his non-working shifts. There is just one experience that he would prefer not to repeat: The one night that he had to spend outdoors while in London. At that time of year it was rather too cold.
On the other hand, he would like to try his hand at parachuting. Along with this, he hopes in the coming years to satisfy his wishes for a car, to marry and to have his own home.
What he particularly likes at HGK Shipping is that as an apprentice he is very well supported by the human resources staff and is grateful for many things that from his viewpoint are not to be taken for granted.
We are delighted to be able to accompany Thomas on his path towards becoming a barge skipper and thank him for his interview and the insight it gives into the apprenticeship.