DTED Trainee Bram Holland (26 years old) has been finding his way within Boskalis for over a year. “This traineeship really turned out to be a great way to get to know the business, see new places and learn everything about DTED as the link between Boskalis’ knowledge and operations.”
Bram studied civil engineering at TU Delft. Like most of his classmates, he wanted to pursue a job with a focus on engineering. The idea of creating new horizons around the globe really appealed to him.
DTED is short for Design, Tender and Engineering Department. It’s the part of Boskalis’ Dredging division where all the necessary knowledge is made available for tenders and running projects. Bram insisted on spending his first period as a DTED trainee in the field, to really experience how dredging is done. Bram: “I enjoyed working on a dredging project in the far east as a superintendent. The thing I liked most was working in a diverse team of colleagues with different cultural backgrounds.”
After getting a taste of the dredging business, Bram spent his second trainee assignment really diving into the engineering details at Project Support. This department is all about optimizing Boskalis’ dredging equipment to increase production and efficiency. “An important part of the job is really getting to know the equipment by working on board”, he adds. “You can’t optimize equipment behind a desk without having seen it in action. So I spent quite some time on dredging vessels in Rotterdam and Finland.”
“My final trainee phase covers the tendering part of DTED”, Bram continues. “I’m currently accompanying an experienced cost estimator, learning everything about the cost engineering side of making proposals. I already have lot of responsibilities overseeing the budgetary process and it’s really interesting to get to know the financial side of the business.”
Bram is very happy that he chose to do the Boskalis traineeship. “Another advantage of the traineeship is having a close group of fellow trainees who are all going through the same journey. Although we don’t work together on a daily basis, having lunch or a cup of coffee together is a great way to share experiences and support each other when needed.”
“And after the traineeship?”, Bram smiles. “To make things happen, it’s important to speak up and point out your ambitions within Boskalis. In my case there are many possible career directions, but I’d love to be stationed in an office abroad, preferably in Southeast Asia. I know the region and believe it’s important to actually be present when working on international projects. It’s the only way to build strong relationships.”
Would you like to follow in Bram’s footsteps as a Boskalis trainee? Check out the possibilities here.
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