Welcome on board – 68 new apprentices start their careers at Hapag-Lloyd

This week, 68 young women and men begin their maritime careers at Hapag-Lloyd in Hamburg. Some of the apprentices will learn traditional nautical professions: 14 ship mechanics, 14 deck cadets, three engine cadets are training as seafarers. Further 25 apprentices will learn onshore professions like ship merchants or office management. All apprentices had their first day at Hapag-Lloyd on 3 August 2020.

Another 14 ship mechanics started their apprenticeships at the beginning of the year and are now embarking on their first voyage on the “Chicago Express”. The 8,600 TEU container ship is one of Hapag-Lloyd’s two training ships and is currently sailing from Southern Europe to the US East Coast on the Atlantic Loop 6 (AL6). Hapag-Lloyd is also sponsoring twelve dual-track students at Hamburg School of Business Administration and Nordakademie who are pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in International Management, Logistic Management, and Business Informatics.

Apprentices start under unusual conditions

Every year, Hapag-Lloyd organizes a large kick-off event for the new apprentices at the company’s headquarters at Ballindamm in Hamburg. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the orientation event AHOI on 26 June 2020 was held virtually to ensure social distancing. For Hapag-Lloyd, health and safety of the apprentices has the highest priority also during onboarding.
“We are happy to welcome the next generation of seafarers and maritime logistics experts,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hapag-Lloyd. “Our industry will be facing many changes in the next decades. In a few years, these young professionals will be invaluable for shaping the future of shipping.”

Apprenticeship manager Frank Drevin added: “Hapag-Lloyd is proud to be the largest maritime training company in Germany. The apprentices and students are of immense value to Hapag-Lloyd, especially in difficult times like these. We are very diligent in making sure that the onboarding will offer our apprentices crucial insights into the company, while abiding by current health regulations.”

Hapag-Lloyd offers twelve different apprenticeships for land and sea-based professions. After finishing their trainings, a significant amount of apprentices are hired to stay on with Hapag-Lloyd.