Born Parisian Aude Pechadre (25 years old) has a passion for offshore engineering and is particularly interested in soils. “As a young graduate with an international career in mind, the Boskalis traineeship seemed like the ideal way to explore the company, learn about the industry and discover what type of job would suit me best.”
After studying earth sciences and geotechnical engineering in France, Aude moved to the Netherlands for a second master in offshore and dredging engineering at TU Delft. “That’s where I came into contact with Boskalis.”
Tendering and execution
Aude started her traineeship as a tender engineer at the Heavy Lift department. “I worked on proposals for installing heavy foundations for wind farms all over the world”, she explains. “It was really something new for me, to run through all the major parts of the project in a multidisciplinary team. Not just the technical part, but the financial picture and contractual side as well. I got a lot of responsibilities straight away, while being guided by my colleagues when needed.”
After working on the more theoretical tenders, Aude wanted to experience some action in operations. So she spent her second trainee period on an ongoing project at the Subsea Cable department. “I had a challenging position as a project engineer at a shore landing operation in Germany. In other words, the part of an offshore energy project where the wind farm cables meet dry land. This challenging operation - performing tightly orchestrated procedures with extremely valuable materials and equipment - took over a year of planning for just a two days of execution. This experience really showed me how much knowledge and preparation goes into what we do as Boskalis.”
Hardcore engineering
After tendering and working in the field, Aude is spending her final traineeship assignment in a more specialist position related to soil. Aude: “I really enjoy diving into the details as a geotechnical engineer. I’m currently focused on calculating how long it takes to install windfarm foundations, based on circumstances such as soil resistance. Soil isn’t like steel, it’s a natural material and is never the same. That’s what makes it so interesting to work with.”
“So far, it’s been great trying three different positions during my traineeship”, Aude smiles. “I would really recommend the Boskalis traineeship to young professionals who are looking for a bridge between student life and their professional career. It’s a huge bonus to go on this journey together with other trainees, who are all in the same phase together. We grew to be quite a close group, sharing our love and enthusiasm for the business.”
Did Aude’s story inspire you to look at a future within Boskalis? Read more about our traineeships here.
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