APPRENTICE INSIGHTS

In many ways, the freight forwarding industry has an image problem when it comes to our generation. But that’s often because they don’t really know what the freight forwarding industry is all about. Friends of mine often ask me how I could work in logistics. When I tell them what logistics is all about, many of them are surprised at just how broad the field is.

Suitable pay would make training in our industry attractive. There should also be additional further training opportunities. Vocational education and training programmes, i.e. a so-called dual system, should be made available.”

Before that, I didn’t have much to do with the port and logistics industry through my family and friends. Not many of them know what it’s really all about. I think you need to make the industry more interesting generally by providing more insight and showing just how varied it actually is. I would highly recommend doing an internship here. Many people think that all you do in a warehouse is drive forklifts and pack things. But that’s not true. What I really enjoy doing, for example, is working in the warehouse with my colleagues. Spending eight hours working at a desk wouldn’t be for me.

There needs to be more advertising on social media channels and online platforms. I also think that personal contact at school job fairs is important. Talking directly to apprentices and trainees is important because it provides insight into the workday.”

There are also a lot more licences you can acquire such as ADR and BF3, which means you’ll always be able to offer something. What I like about the job is that it’s so varied. And because I only work locally, I spend a lot of time outdoors, which I also like. And it’s also very important to me to be at home every evening. During the apprenticeship, I spent two weeks in the scheduling office, but that’s not really for me. I prefer to be on the road and enjoy all the variety.

All my friends think my job is exciting and interesting, but they wouldn’t be able to deal with the working times. Ports have a very good image as far as my generation is concerned because they offer endless variation in terms of jobs and plenty of opportunities to advance in your career. Attractive working times and good wages are very important. A four-day week would also be brilliant.”

I don’t think the port and logistics industry is much of a consideration for my generation because very few are aware of the career potential. Many young people who want to start a training programme are only interested in earning more money with less work. Or they want to go to university. That’s why there are so few apprentices in our industry. Young people should probably give more thought to how their iPhone or PlayStation gets from China to Germany. The containers don’t fly here.

Nearly 90 per cent of the goods come by ship and are usually transhipped in containers. We dockers open and unload some of these at the port in order to load the goods onto lorries. We’re an important component of many supply chains, and nothing would work without us.

Many young people aren’t even aware that this exciting and varied apprenticeship exists. If you want to make the industry more attractive, you need to start advertising more. Not that many people know what this training programme is all about.”