Subscribe to the newsletter
It was eight years ago, while walking his dog, that Arjan Thiellier noticed the Damen logo on the shipyard buildings in Vlissingen-Oost. He was a bit bored with his job at Breda City Council and, having studied Architecture and Civil Engineering, missed the technical challenge. “Because we lived in Vlissingen, I was growing increasingly tired of the travel time, but I always thought that there weren’t that many technical opportunities in Zeeland. Until I almost literally bumped into Damen.”
The now 44-year-old senior engineer sent an open application and hoped, given his studies and background, for a position on the subject of shipbuilding. Things turned out differently. “I was hired as an engineer shock & sound.” He works on the possible shocks due to mines, underwater noise, sonar-generated noise and inboard noise from equipment and engines. “When it comes to calculating shock, knowledge of construction is absolutely essential, so that fell nicely into place,” says Arjan. “It is a complex field in which there is always something new to learn, especially because of new regulations. Ships have to meet increasingly strict underwater noise requirements. That makes projects like the Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates very complex and therefore very interesting.”
“I really like the fact that Coen works at Damen. He is very enthusiastic about his work. He comes home happy every day and so do I.” Arjan Thiellier
The design of the ship’s structure and the assembly of the system components must take into account the applicable requirements and the customer’s wishes. “I like the technical ‘puzzle’ aspect and it’s nice that I also get to see a lot of the actual work,” says Arjan. “We do a lot of measurements and inspections during the construction of a ship. When I started at Damen, the two PKRs for Indonesia were under construction at the Vlissingen-Oost shipyard, and I regularly travelled to Romania for the ASRV (Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel Nuyina for Australia) and the FRV (Fishery Research Vessel Baía Farta for Angola).”
Coen at work in Vlissingen-Oost.
At home, the enthusiastic stories about the new job sparked the interest of teenage son Coen, now 19. “I got it into my head one day that I wanted to be a welder and I have never strayed from that goal,” says Coen. “During secondary school, the third year was an orientation year, and we were allowed to look around at different trades. One of them was welding and I went for it.” During that orientation year, through two short internships at Damen Naval and an internship at a small shipyard, Coen also discovered his love for the maritime sector.
When he started his intermediate vocational training as an all-round welder at local technical college Scalda, he opted for the work-based training programme, in which students go to school one day a week and follow practical training four days a week; partly at a company and partly through school. “I started at an offshore company, but after two years I had reached the limit of what I could learn there,” Coen explains. “At Damen Naval there are many more challenges, so when my father said that they were also looking for apprentices in Vlissingen-Oost, I looked into whether I could do my third year here. I’ve been working here for almost six months now and it suits me down to the ground. It’s relatively quiet on the yard, but there’s plenty of work.”
At the end of this school year, Coen will be able to complete his training as an all-round welder. But he is already busy looking at his next steps, such as the internationally recognised IRW (International Robotic Welding) B and C course. A course that will ultimately enable him to operate and programme a welding robot. “At the moment, Damen does not yet have a welding robot, but perhaps that will change in the future. Many companies are testing them.”
Father and son have been members of the Damen Naval cycling team for many years.
Arjan, in addition to his work as a senior engineer, is also active in the company’s Works Council. “I wanted to get a somewhat broader view of the organisation and be more involved in other matters than just my own department. The combination is very nice.” And he is very proud of the fact that Coen is enjoying himself so much at Damen Naval. “Actually, we have been working together since 2016, because Coen always cycled in the Damen Naval team that participated in Ride for the Roses and the Giro d’Italia tour in Arnhem,” laughs Arjan. “I really like the fact that Coen works at Damen. Because I work with welding experts and am a member of the Works Council with people from Vlissingen-Oost, I do hear some stories on the grapevine. Coen is very enthusiastic about his work. He comes home happy every day and so do I.”