Combining working with studying: how part-time studies are helping DSMS grow

Schelde Schakels has covered the continuing growth of Damen Schelde Marine Services (DSMS) quite a bit over the last few years. These articles have focused mainly on topics such as acquisitions, notable contracts, and new offices. However, the growth of a company cannot only be measured in terms of turnover or expansion. It is also measured in people. Across departments at DSMS, numerous colleagues are investing in their own development through part-time studies, and in doing so, they’re strengthening the company itself.

One colleague who personifies this spirit is Lôli Sanderson who combines her work as a Management Assistant with a part-time Associate Degree in Human Resource Management. Lôli first joined DSMS as a management assistant intern in January 2019. After proving herself during the four-month internship, she stayed for a further three and a half years. In 2022, she decided to leave to “broaden her horizons.

So, did she broaden her horizons? “I found out the grass isn’t always greener at the neighbours”, she laughs. “But it was good to see what else is out there when you’re 22.” In July 2024, Lôli returned to DSMS, picking up her previous role of Management Assistant.

Earlier this year, she decided it was time to continue her education. “I figured if I ever want to go back to school, I should do it now. So, I went to Arnold [Arnold Suykerbuyk, DSMS Managing Director] and said, ‘I don’t know what I want to study, but I’d like to study again.’ I looked around, and found an HR Management course, and thought, it’s exactly what fits DSMS right now.”

She began the two-year Associate Degree in September 2025. The course focuses on the full employee journey within a company: recruitment, onboarding, motivation, continual development, and offboarding.

Lôli makes the direct connection between the course content and DSMS’s growth strategy. “It’s about hiring the right people, helping them settle in, keeping them excited about their jobs, and finding ways for them to grow”, Lôli explains. “And when someone moves on or retires, managing that process smoothly.”

The associate degree course takes up one day of her week; every Thursday she attends class from 8:30 to 11:30, and again from 15:00 to 22:00. Juggling work, studies, and home life is demanding. “It’s a lot—but exciting”, she says. “What you learn at school, you can instantly apply at work. You start thinking: Do we do that here? How could we improve it? It’s hard, but it’s okay.”

Her long-term goal? To grow into a future HR role within DSMS. “I know nothing about ships or diesel engine parts”, she smiles, “but I love helping people and taking care of things. That’s where I see myself.”

DSMS has long placed importance on employee development, which is most probably one of the reasons for the company’s low staff turnover; some colleagues have stayed for 30, 40, even 50 years. To this end, Lôli is by no means the only DSMS team member to have taken on a part-time course. For example, at DSMS’ Vlissingen location, there are currently three members of the warehouse and forwarding teams studying for either their Bachelor in Logistics Management, or an Associate Degree in Logistics.

Besides supporting employees who wish to further their education, DSMS offers a diverse range of internships. At the moment, the company has four interns working in sales, marketing and communications, finance, and logistics who combine their studies with part-time work at DSMS.

What’s more, offering internships is a crucial way for DSMS to attract new personnel as many interns stay on at the company after graduation. Over the past ten years, for instance, eight of the current DSMS team started off as interns. Lôli believes that this high level of intern retention is due to the fact that interns are fully integrated into the company. “They are invited to company events, and given real responsibilities. For example, our marketing intern is already responsible for the marketing of several countries. They’re really part of the team”, she says. “We try to give them space to grow and make them feel that their work matters.” This is by no means a new phenomenon: looking back further than a decade, there are quite a few people who have been working at DSMS for more than 25 years who started as an intern either at the Machinefabriek or at the Schelde.

DSMS’s steady year-on-year growth reflects the company’s commitment to development at every level, from apprenticeships and technical training to the part-time degrees undertaken by many employees. Arnold Suykerbuyk, DSMS Managing Director, sums it up: “Our growth as a company depends on the growth of our people. When employees take on studies alongside their work, it sends a strong signal: learning never stops, and together we’re building the future of DSMS. Because when our people grow, DSMS grows too.”

Pictured at the top: these DSMS employees all started off as interns at the company. From left to right: Ryan Simpelaar, Nino de Jonge, Lôli Sanderson-Jones, Luuk van Wuijckhuijse, Richard Storij, Luka van der Maas, Rens de Smit, and Charina Kertokalio.

Text: Tom Scott