Sabrina Tomczak is 30 and comes from Duisburg. She started her apprenticeship in 2019 and successfully completed it in 2022. Before her apprenticeship as a barge skipper Sabrina was involved in youth work. She chose the career change because she had always enjoyed physical work and she liked being outdoors.
At the end of a working day she now has ‘heavy arms but a clear head’, which suits her very well. Water was always her element. For some years she worked as a lifeguard with the German Lifesaving Association (DLRG) and enjoys her free time by the sea or mountain biking. She can also keep up her physical activity on the barge. According to her step counter, she takes some 25,000 steps per day on the deck.
Favourite journeys instead of the 9 to 5
Sabrina recommends that young people with an interest begin with an onboard internship in order to ‘make the leap’. Many people, she senses, are put off by the shift system, in which they have to be away from home for extended periods. The bottom line, however, is that there is more free time here than in a 9-to-5 job.
Her favourite route is from Rotterdam to Ludwigshafen, as it is a long run and with attractive landscapes. Alongside her usual tasks on board she also regularly undertakes maintenance works on the machinery and works through the QEHS checklists.
The daily life of a barge skipper
Sabrina regards the profession of barge skipper as future-proof and hopes to stay in the job after her apprenticeship and to progress towards becoming a captain. Her biggest hurdle previously was finding an apprenticeship spot. She suspects that this may be because of the need for separate sanitary facilities on board the training barge. ‘I’m pleased that this opportunity with HGK Shipping exists, so that I could complete my apprenticeship here.’.
As a barge skipper, by the end of the day you have heavy arms but a clear head.
Coffee, cakes and card games
The cooking onboard is very good and much appreciated. The diversity of cultures means that there is a wide range of delicious dishes on offer. And coffee must always be available during the shift. As well as sports, Sabrina enjoys playing parlour games with her friends or on the barge.
The Russian card game Durak (‘Fool’) is very popular and everybody knows it. And thanks to her youth work she has played a lot of table football, such that she could see herself winning an Olympic medal.
Her next wish is to buy a car, which among other things would enable her to visit her grandfather in Poland. Overall Sabrina has a very positive outlook on life and finds Christmas to be the loveliest time of the year, as it brings the whole family together. ‘In Poland we have a tradition at Christmas of always laying a place for an extra person. This allows a stranger to eat with us who is away from home and not able to spend Christmas with their own family.’
At HGK Shipping she particularly likes the fact that there are people available to her both onboard and in the office to whom she can turn at any time. She also relishes the responsibility that is placed on her. In future Sabrina can well imagine teaching apprentices herself, as she has learnt herself how important it is to be taught by more experienced colleagues.
We would like to thank Sabrina for the conversation and are delighted that her journey will continue with our company after the apprenticeship ends.