16 minute read
A career at sea begins on a full-rigged ship
The career at sea begins on a full-rigged ship
If you want to meet some of the seafarers of the future, visit a three-masted training ship. Statistics show that almost all students on the GEORG STAGE pursue a career at sea - either by going on sailing as an OS or by applying for maritime training. But who are these young people and what have they learned after 20 weeks on board?
By Troels Leth, SEA HEALTH & WELFARE · Photos Hannah Paludan
The weather is excellent and the sea is calm when SEA HEALTH & WELFARE visits Ungdomsøen (The Youth Island) - also known as the Middelgrundsfortet - on a day in late October. The island is an old sea fortress in the Oresund that was built 130 years ago to protect Copenhagen from outside attack. On this day, the Danish training ship, the GEORG STAGE, is berthed at the island because the 57 students aged 18-22 onboard have completed their 20-week expedition and will now have their exams.
One of the youngsters is Dejan Tomovski from Copenhagen. He is standing on the aft deck, rigging a boatswain's chair. He also has to prepare a so-called post. Which is not his favourite exam.
"It was one of the worst subjects I could draw. I have practised a lot on splicing ropes, I am good at that," says Dejan Tomovski.
On deck and on the quay, other students are also working on various practical seafaring exams. Captain Bjarke Wahlqvist and chief officer Idalene Lund Nielsen go from student to student, checking their work and asking about the methods. Dejan Tomovski waits anxiously for 15 minutes for his turn. He's got the basics down, but is also clearly relieved when the captain announces that he has passed.
Dejan Tomovski became a GEORG STAGE student almost by coincidence. He was attending a production school when as part of the course his class visited the GEORG STAGE.
"I didn't know anything about the training ship before. We were assigned to visit the ship and the students, and what they told me got me hooked. So that evening I applied to go on an expedition and I was fortunate to be offered a place," he says: "I feel like I can really do a lot now and I've got a lot of good skills. It's great to be here and be able to do all these things."
The 20-week training expedition he has completed has given him the motivation to sail even more.
"I want to go sailing again. It's really got me hooked. I also have a great interest in working with wood, so maybe I'll apply to train as a boat builder. But most of all, I can't wait to get home to my mum and relax a bit," he says with a broad smile.
The training ship GEORG STAGE is moored at Ungdomsøen (The Youth Island) to give the 57 students some peace to focus on their exams. At the end of the day, there is time for practical tasks.
Student Dejan Tomovski is taking his practical seamanship exam on the aft deck. Captain Bjarke Wahlqvist and Chief Officer Idalene Lund Nielsen are asking the questions. Foto: SHW For three days, GEORG STAGE is located at Ungdomsøen (The Youth Island). Some exams are held in a building on the other side of the old sea fort.
THEIR DREAM IS TO BECOME A DECK OFFICER
All the students who SEA HEALTH & WELFARE meets on the GEORG STAGE have plans similar to those of Dejan Tomovski. They either want to go sailing again or apply for a maritime education.
Michelle Nicoline Bodholdt from Varde had originally started at an agricultural college, but decided that she would rather go sailing. However, she went to high school before applying for a place on the GEORG STAGE.
"I prioritised upper secondary school first because it offers more opportunities after the expedition. I plan to apply for a maritime education at SIMAC in Svendborg, starting next summer. My dream is to become an officer on a large passenger ship. I like to be around a lot of people, so maybe on a large ferry or cruise ship," she says.
Ida Hein Truelsen from Copenhagen has the same plan. She also completed an upper secondary education before applying for a place on the GEORG STAGE. "Before the expedition, I never imagined I could become an deck officer. I'm so glad I took the plunge. Now it has whetted my appetite and I want to study to become an deck officer." LETTING GO OF CONTROL IS NECESSARY
Michelle Nicoline Bodholdt believes she has changed during the GEORG STAGE expedition.
"In the beginning I wanted to control and plan everything. I could do that in high school, but you cannot do that on GEORG STAGE. Changes happen all the time, so I quickly learned that you don't have to stress about things. I've also become more adaptable. You need to be flexible here, because without any warning you can get a message that you have to react to, even if you may not want to. The night watches are hard and we're tired. But you cannot E
On the GEORG STAGE, diversity is a strength
"The more diverse the group of students are, the more they develop. That's why we try to compose the most diverse group of students possible. Roughly that means equal numbers of each gender and preferably students from different geographical locations. We receive most applicants from Copenhagen, but we also look at the other parts of the country, as well as Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden. Similarly, we also make an effort to have a match between academically strong students and students who were not among the best in school. We also prioritise openings for applicants who want to work with their hands, and who are not good at sitting at a computer. Experience tells us that the bright high school student and the one who has disassembled and assembled a moped get a lot out of getting to know each other. We also hear from dyslexic students that being dyslexic on the GEORG STAGE is less of a challenge for them."
Asser Amdisen, director of the Georg Stage’s Memorial Foundation
let your frustration or tiredness get to everyone else who are also tired," she says.
Ida Hein Truelsen has made many new friends onboard, including some she might not have thought she had anything in common with. At the same time, the training ship has been a good learning place for her.
"I've pushed my limits and solved tasks that are very different from anything else I've tried, and that are only possible on a ship like this. I am very happy about that. We have experienced the whole world from the water side and at the same time learned a lot that you need when working on the ship."
Michelle Nicoline Bodholdt adds: "We have learned all kinds of practical things onboard the ship. And probably things we'll never need again. But as a student, you're equipped to apply for all sorts of maritime courses afterwards. I think that's very valuable. And pretty quickly I learned to say no when I'm having a bad day and I don't want to join in on all the fun. On a ship, it's important to be honest about how you feel."
Ida Hein Truelsen (left) and Michelle Nicoline Bodholdt both want to be deck officers and expect to start training next summer. Foto: SHW
Students get support and guidance for job search after the expedition
"After the students have graduated, we organise a 'job café' in the lounge, where students can get help and guidance for job searching. We do this because on every expedition there are some students who, for example, have never tried to apply for a job. At the same time, we know that some shipping companies have quite sophisticated processes for applying for a job. If you hit that brick wall, it may be easier to choose another job ashore."
"It's awesome when I hear about some of the squirts I've sent on to a ship. Then I get a report that there's some drive in them. Having some young energy onboard livens up a ship and energises the mess room. We will call a shipping company if we have students who fit the profiles that the shipping company is typically looking for. For example, we can help our Greenlandic students connect with ROYAL ARCTIC LINE if it suits their profile."
Morten Hess-Nielsen, 2nd engineer on the GEORG STAGE.
"On the expedition, I proved to myself that I can do more than I thought I could. At first, for example, I wasn't very confident when going out on the yards," says Sofie Wildt Settgast.
Emil Meyer has learned a lot about his own limits and those of others.
NO LONGER ONE OF THE QUIET GIRLS
Sofie Wildt Settgast from Rømø has learned new sides of herself onboard. That's unavoidable, she says. Before the expedition, she would probably describe herself as one of the quiet students. Now it is a considerably more confident Sofie who signs off.
"I've definitely learned to be more open and outgoing. We are very different, so we learn to be with many different types of people. On the expedition I proved to myself that I can do more than I thought I could. At first, for example, I wasn't very confident when going out on the yards. Now I don't think about it at all. In general, I have become more confident and find a different peace within myself."
It is fairly clear that Sofie Wildt Settgast wants to continue sailing, and it is, among other things, the stories and experiences of the deck officers that have inspired her.
"I'd like to go sailing as an OS, but I haven't decided on what kind of ship I'd like to apply for. We've heard so many stories from the officers about where they've sailed and what they've experienced. It's very inspiring," says Sofie Wildt Settgast.
It's no coincidence that she has embarked on the maritime field: "My family has a sailing boat, so I've been going on voyages all my life. I enjoy being on the water and have for a long time been interested in getting a maritime education. The idea to apply for a place on the GEORG STAGE came from a friend of my brother who had sailed on a training ship," says Sofie Wildt Settgast.
HAS BECOME PART OF THE TEAM
Emil Meyer from Kalundborg is also aiming for a maritime education. Before the expedition, he had no idea which education would be right for him. "Now I'm pretty sure I'm going to apply to SIMAC next year to become a master. At the GEORG STAGE, we talk with each other and are influenced by the other students' ideas and thoughts about the possibilities of maritime education," says Emil Meyer.
It's not just the dream of a maritime education that has taken shape onboard the GEORG STAGE. Emil Meyer has also learned a lot about his own limits and those of others.
"Absolutely. On a personal level, I've grown a lot and become much more pedagogical. I have gained an understanding of the fact that we have different needs and that we have to respect each other. Before, I could become impatient and perhaps a little upset if things weren't as I thought they should be. Now I know I'm part of a team and that we go furthest by helping each other and listening. That's a huge gift I've been given," says Emil Meyer. E
After the formal group photo is taken, there's time to take some fun photos with friends on board.
You need to learn to set the tone
"With up to 63 students plus the ten officers onboard, crises will emerge. Crises may be about people coming from different backgrounds and having different languages. When you board a ship, you don't know the tone. You have to learn how to speak up for yourself, but also how to manage yourself."
"It may happen that you feel offended for yourself or on behalf of others about something. Then we have a talk about how to be with different people. The crucial thing is that we resolve it. We are a pedagogical ship with a focus on dialogue. We have an important role to play in making sure that students don't mess up when they come onboard the next ship. On the contrary, we want them to be able to manage and navigate in a new environment. An important part of this is, of course, that you can also say no."
Morten Hess-Nielsen, 2nd engineer on the GEORG STAGE. THE EXPEDITION WAS HARDER THAN EXPECTED
After today's exams are over, a group photo is taken. Students put on their uniforms and otherwise pass the time relaxing under the afternoon sun. Before the cruise, some students thought of what the social environment would be like on the ship. It was actually Anne-Sofie Brunhøj Sørensen's biggest concern.
"I thought it would be hard socially, but that came naturally. On the other hand, the academic content was really intense and harder than I expected. Nevertheless, I've done better than I thought I would," says Anne-Sofie Brunhøj Sørensen, who is from Horsens.
She thinks the officers onboard were good at filling the days, and the students were plunged into it from day one.
"I didn't have time to think about how hard it was, because constantly there was something new to learn. And because we were working together to solve things, we got to know each other in a different way than I was used to before. I could easily link the teaching to the work onboard - it was easy to connect theory with practice. For example, being able to recognise the different ships we saw at sea," says Anne-Sofie Brunhøj Sørensen.
She will start looking for a job as an OS and eventually wants to study to become a marine engineer.
"I've already sent off two applications. Our captain is good at letting us know when there's an open position somewhere. I want to be on my way soon, so I'm planning to take what I can get," says Anne-Sofie Brunhøj Sørensen.
SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND UNIFORM CLOTHING MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Jannis Wolf Höflich is also one of the students who would like to go off sailing again as soon as possible. But in the short term, he hopes to stay on the GEORG STAGE when it goes to the shipyard for a few weeks.
"As an engine cadet, I've learned a lot of new things. But it will be a unique experience for me to stay on the ship and follow the repairs and maintenance that need to be done."
After that, he will head out to sea again. Maybe on a wooden ship or on a boat that catches red king crabs off the Norwegian coast.
"It will be a good opportunity to earn some good money by hard work for a month or so. It will allow me to work with something else that might not be as well paid. In the long term, I'd like to study to be an AB, and when I need to settle down, I'd like to train to be a master," says Jannis Wolf Höflich, who originally trained as a carpenter.
"The constant time pressure as a carpenter didn't suit me very well. So when a friend told me about the GEORG STAGE, I thought it sounded like a great idea. I saw it as an opportunity to work on something new, learn a lot and have new experiences. I also like that we wear the same clothes. Here, no one judges each other by their clothes," says Jannis Wolf Höflich.
What Jannis Wolf Höflich found to be the hardest part during the expedition was being woken up before a watch and immediately having to get to work. "You must get out of your bunk, pack it up, get dressed and then get up on deck. With no time to get yourself ready and to have a quiet breakfast. I've gotten used to it, but I do hate it," says Jannis Wolf Höflich, who was initially a bit unsure about all the students sleeping in the same room.
"But it soon became normal, because we felt that we were in a safe environment. And bathing together was no problem, because we didn't see anything we hadn't seen before. The outside is the same, the inside is different, and it's a good way to get to know people. At the GEORG STAGE, you don't judge others by their outward appearance."
Jannis Wolf Höflich (right) is not sure what the future holds, but he definitely wants to work at sea, first as an OS and eventually as an officer.
Anne-Sofie Brunhøj Sørensen has already sent two applications for a job as an OS. In the longer term, she dreams of studying to be a naval engineer.
Young people are ahead on equality
"We've had students who were born one gender but feel like a different gender, and they talk about it onboard. It's generally quite seamless because everyone is focused on working together and getting things done. So they feel like they have a safe haven on the GEORG STAGE, because you're largely judged on what you do, not on what you are. The differences I notice between the students are therefore not related to their gender, because they are already conscious of equality - and in many ways young people are ahead of the elder generation."
Morten Hess-Nielsen, 2nd engineer on the GEORG STAGE.
Shipping companies can influence the training content
"We want to teach students everything we can and prepare them for a job on the ships and in maritime education. That's why we have an ongoing dialogue with the industry to hear what is important for them that we impart to the students. In this way, for example, we found out that ESVAGT really wants our students to get a radio certificate. We then included that in the curriculum. Conversely, we will take something out if it is out of date. That's how we work all the time to adapt the training. We have to meet a minimum standard, but we do so much more. It is important to me that it is a modern education on an old ship. We are turning young people into competent seafarers who can solve the problems they face."
Asser Amdisen, director of the Georg Stage’s Memorial Foundation
