My name is Jefferson Hoyer, I am 23 years old and I was born and raised in Bandabou. After high school I studied electrical engineering at MBO, level 4. Now I am training at SMTC to be a metal worker and I’m an intern at Damen.
How did you hear about SMTC and why did you enroll?
One of the SMTC training coordinators advised me to enroll. When he approached me, I became enthusiastic straight away. I am always open to learning new things. It was a fresh challenge and an opportunity to grow. I finished MTS electrical engineering and I worked as an alarm technician. Even though I really enjoy my work as an electrical engineer, I’m very open to learning a new trade and making it my profession.
Where are you doing your internship now?
I’m in the second year of my traineeship at SMTC and am an intern at Damen. The first year was mainly theoretical, now we’ve reached the practical part. For someone who used to work in a different field, it really is a whole new world, and it is so much fun. Every day I learn something new, so no two days are the same.
Which specialism are you training for and why?
I’m an iron worker. For example, we repair ship sections, but we also rebuild entire ship sections. We measure the metal parts that are broken and make new parts in our workshop. One of the things we’re working on now is the rudder of a ship. We’re renewing the whole header and that is really challenging work because everything must be customized. If you make a measurement error, then you have a big problem. This directly affects the other parts of the header. So, you must work very precisely, burn accurately, and measure a lot.
Why would you advise peers to take this course?
If you want to learn new things, it’s a great course. It’s important to get the training because you become really motivated to master the profession. Only then it will be the right choice for you. Another thing is that you must be willing and able to work in a team. Both with colleagues from your own department and with other departments.
‘Every day is different and every day you learn something new. If you want to do this course, you need to have an open mind and to be open to work together with others’
– Jefferson Hoyer
