Yosua Niko Putra Permata (Niko) decided to leave the comfort of his hometown to learn everything about dredging during the international Boskalis traineeship. “I’ve experienced huge growth so far, professionally and personally.”
Niko (26 years old) was born and raised in Surabaya, Indonesia. “I’ve spent most of my life there. So after finishing my degree in ocean engineering, I decided it was time to see more of the world. That’s when my eyes fell on the Boskalis traineeship. It seemed like the ideal opportunity to kickstart my career, gain a lot of professional experience and travel the world.”
The international adventure started straight away, as Niko got the opportunity to do his first assignment in the Philippines. He worked on the impressive Manila International Airport project. “Besides looking around and gaining my first dredging knowledge”, Niko explains, “I had multiple tasks on the ocean side of the project area. I spent a lot of time aboard multipurpose vessels, delivering materials and handling equipment such as floating pipes and anchors. It was great to play a part in the immense logistical chain. My second trainee period was on the same project, but working as a superintendent in the center of the project area. The sheer scale of the job continued to blow my mind.”
“Working with such a diverse team was quite a culture shock at first”, he admits. “While sharing some cultural aspects with my Filipino colleagues, the Dutch culture really is quite different. The open mindset took some getting used to, but turned out to be just what I needed for my personal and professional development. My proudest achievement so far is being more able to open up, speak my mind and share my feelings. The way I stand up for myself now, was unthinkable 2 years ago.”
By now, Niko just started his final trainee phase at the tendering department in Jakarta, Indonesia. Niko: “I’m looking forward to learn the basics of tendering and getting to know the other side of Boskalis’ operations, planning and negotiating from the very start. There is still a lot to learn”, he concludes. “But when I’m ready, I think I’d like to keep working in the field as a dredging superintendent. Being able to provide answers to operational questions really gives me energy.”
Are you interested in a Boskalis traineeship? Take a look here.
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