Prospective inland skippers from all over Germany receive valuable impetus for their training in Cologne
All good things come in threes: The next generation of inland skippers will come to the cathedral city in November to receive support for their training. For the third time, apprentices from all years of training in inland navigation will be able to prepare specifically for their block lessons at the Schiffer-Berufskolleg Rhein in Duisburg during a nautical workshop. The workshop on the MS RheinLand is jointly organized and conducted by KölnTourist Personenschiffahrt am Dom GmbH and Köln Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt GmbH.
"Promoting young talent in any form is very close to our hearts. The project was born out of a desire to provide a space for the young men and women who have chosen this particular profession to expand and deepen their knowledge and practice in a hands-on environment."
Angelika Schmitz, Managing Director of KölnTourist
The first, small test workshop took place in November 2020 with only eight participants. However, this aroused the interest of numerous training companies from all over Germany. By 2021, a total of 55 shipgirls and shipboys from all three apprenticeship years were taking part. "We are very happy about this popularity," Angelika Schmitz is pleased: "We were able to welcome young men and women from the Rhine, Moselle, Saar, Main, Neckar, Danube and Lake Constance on board." The Köln Düsseldorfer Rheinschiffahrt (KD) actively supports the now third workshop with the know-how of lecturers as well as the use of dinghies for the practical part of the workshop.
From October 31 to November 12, 2022, the trainees will be intensively prepared for their future vocational school stay and upcoming examinations in three different courses for the three apprenticeship years. In addition to the classic craft of knotting, splicing and handling rope and wire, they will also practice topics in waterway science, traffic theory in inland navigation, mathematics, ship's lore, nautical charts, as well as handling life jackets and the dinghy in Niehler Harbor.
"We ourselves have been actively training people for years in the fields of nautical science, gastronomy and event management. We are happy to pass on our experience to other trainers, because cooperation is the be-all and end-all of being fit for the future. This is also expressed in the good cooperation with our colleagues at KD, whom we were able to win over for this project," adds Angelika Schmitz, who was one of the first women in the Rhineland to train as an inland waterway skipper herself at the beginning of her career in 1992.
Future-oriented craft with tradition
The traditional craft of the inland waterway skipper involves three years of training. Recently, it has also become possible to train directly as an inland waterway captain in three and a half years. Both training paths take place in the dual system. As a rule, the apprentices learn the practical part of the profession on the ships of their training companies. During the annual three-month block instruction at the Schiffer-Berufskolleg Rhein in Duisburg-Homberg, subject-related instruction takes place in theory and practice. During this time, the prospective inland skippers are accommodated in the Rhine training ship in the Homberg city harbor. With the final examination, the prospective inland navigation operators become a permanent and important part of the crew in inland navigation.
Inland navigation is an important economic and ecological mode of transport throughout Europe and provides logistical access to the domestic market from and to the seaports. In addition to classic bulk goods via containers and liquid goods, heavy goods are also transported throughout Europe without traffic restrictions. But also on passenger ships, ferries, authority vehicles and river cruise ships the prospective boatmen and -women find their employment.
A container ship on the Rhine replaces about 180 trucks on the road. The constant further development of existing drives and also new developments such as gas engines and diesel-electric drives contribute to low-emission transport.
KölnTourist offers boat trips and boat charters at the most important junctions on the Rhine in the Cologne/Bonn area, unforgettable and exclusive variety of experiences for a real change of perspective, plenty of deceleration and lots of good humor on one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. A personal and individual service, delicious food from selected partners and a very good price/performance ratio round off the offer.
KölnTourist is a privately run shipping company with decades of tradition and shipping expertise. The fleet is technically up to date, because the safety of the passengers is always in the center of attention. The interior of the fleet is always well maintained. With an eye on the environment and future generations, the company embarked on a journey to greater sustainability in passenger shipping some time ago. KölnTourist sees itself as a true friend and partner of its guests and lives cosmopolitanism. The employees are authentic and love what they do - with regard to their fleet, their offers, their guests and the team.