Ready for a life at sea

Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

- Now the plan is to work for one year and then go on to school to become a helmsman. In the long run, the goal is to become a skipper, but first I want to learn as much as possible. As a skipper, you have a lot of responsibility, and then it is important to have experience from other roles on board, says Gilja.

He has been one of a total of three sailor apprentices on the tugboats of FFS. A new sailor apprentice and a motorman apprentice will arrive in the autumn.

On land, an electrician apprentice has just started. And soon there will be two in the workshop who will learn to become industrial mechanics.

- FFS WANTS to help ensure that we can still have Norwegian seafarers. Having apprentices also means a lot to the environment. And then of course they contribute with a good workforce, says operations manager in FFS, Leif Steinar Simonsen.

Together with technical manager Stian Hoholm, he has been around a lot in upper secondary schools and told about the possibilities in FFS.

- There are not many young people who know exactly what we do. That is why it is important to show the business, says Simonsen.

ANDRÉ GILJA spent one year in engineering and industrial production (TIP) at Eilert Sundt upper secondary school, before enlisting on the school ship MS Gann in Stavanger.

- MS Gann is like a floating classroom. We live and go to school on board. Here I got to try my hand at everything from mooring and working in the engine room to walking bridge guards. In addition, we traveled around a bit and were on the Isle of Man, among other places, says Gilja.

SEAMEN'S LIFE ga mersmak. Through the Maritime Training Center, the Borhaug boy found out that there were apprenticeships at sea at a local company. He applied, and soon he mustered on FFS Amaranth.

- I wanted to be on a smaller boat, and it turned out to suit me well. The crew is five or six. It's a small environment, and you get to know everyone on board. In addition, FFS Amaranth is an older boat. Thus, there was always enough maintenance work to do, says Gilja.

Among his tasks was to prepare the boat for towing. Sometimes he was also on board the boat that was to be towed.

He set up the lantern, went on a bridge watch and worked down in the engine room - in addition to rusting and painting.

- SOMETIMES as an apprentice, I had to contribute to the training of new sailors. The environment was very good. I worked with people from all over the country, and met many different personalities, smiles Gilja, who took some foreign trips with her during her time as an apprentice.

- We were in Poland three times and had several assignments in Denmark. In the end, I was also with FFS Arion two trips to Turkey, says Gilja.

The exam itself was more difficult than he thought it would be.

- First we had a theoretical part, and then a practical one where we went through different topics. Fortunately, it went well, says Gilja.

Now he wants to take a new year at sea. Afterwards, he hopes to enter a technical vocational school that offers maritime subjects.

THAT THE APPRENTICES has ambitions beyond being a sailor, is something the FFS management views very positively.

- We want to motivate our employees to take more school. That is why we often go in and support schooling financially, in exchange for the employee committing to work with us afterwards. For us, it is important to keep good people who know our culture, says operations manager Leif Steinar Simonsen.

General manager John W. Nilsen is clear that FFS must be an attractive apprenticeship company.

- We only have good experiences with taking in apprentices. They are important for our recruitment. Now that there has been a shortage of apprentices, we have a big job to do with showing young people that life on a tugboat is fun and rewarding, says Nilsen.