Adriaan Snoep Piping engineer

‘The small spaces ask for quite a bit of creativity’

"About a year ago, I started looking for a new job. At the time, I was working as a maintenance mechanic and was on the lookout for a new challenge. I was able to start for Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding as a piping engineer. The job appealed to me straight away. Here at DSNS we work on a beautiful and interesting product. And above all, career opportunities are almost unlimited."

 

"I have a background in MTS (vocational) mechanical engineering. Thanks to my education and extensive experience I could start almost immediately. However, I did have to follow a computer class to learn how to operate the DSNS software. You naturally start with the smaller projects. And then gradually you move on to the larger ones. I really appreciate that; the fact that you are offered enough time to get a good grip on everything. And my colleagues are very helpful. They are always willing to offer you a hand or look in on what you are working on."

 

Practical experience

 

 "Sure, I had a huge amount of hands-on experience. But a ship demands so many different skills. For instance, nowadays the size of the living quarters on a ship is becoming more and more important. This makes my space to move limited. Which means that you regularly need to apply some creativity in order to get all the pipes and cable ducts installed properly. And for me it's new to have to take all kinds of safety instructions into account. We work with three dimensional ship models. The actual building of the ship takes place approx. 5 kilometres away. I only go there every so often. And when I am there it feels funny to walk around. You become a little disoriented; after all you only know the ship as a model on your computer and all of a sudden you find yourself standing in the middle of this huge vessel. It is really great to see though, especially to be able to see how your work is being executed."

 

 

Ambitions

 

 "The atmosphere among colleagues here is great. My co-workers vary strongly in age, but I see more and more young people entering the workforce. We get along together fine. You can really call it teamwork. And we share that we are proud of what we do; you work on a ship for so long, it becomes part of you. Not long ago we were on the boardwalk sending off the last of a series of four corvettes. Fair is fair, that does have its effect on you. I myself am pretty ambitious; and that is why the career opportunities at DSNS appeal to me. By following (internal) classes you can further expand your skills. And you are given that opportunity. I think that is a great asset."

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