Dual Study program with OPTONAVAL and Nordakademie

What’s it really like to do a dual study program at Optonaval?
We simply asked – and let our student answer in his own words. From tasks and study rhythm to shipyard projects and team culture, here’s what he shared with us:

1️⃣ What originally brought you to Optonaval – and what convinced you to start your dual study program here?
I was brought onboard by an old friend who works for Optonaval as well. Back when I started at ON, he was looking for someone to assist temporarily in the accounting department. I immediately liked both the people working at ON and its atmosphere. With time I switched departments and worked in production. However, I wanted to underline my practical experience with a theoretical foundation and started to look for a study program that would allow me to keep working as much as possible. While I enjoy both my work and the business itself, what really convinced me to work with ON as a partner for my studies were the people working alongside me. I could not ask for better colleagues and leadership.

2️⃣ What is your typical weekly rhythm between studying and working at Optonaval – and how often are you actually at the company?
The dual studies program is divided into academic phases and industry phases. Industry phases vary in length, but are between 3 to 5 months long. The academic phases are 10 weeks each. While this does mean, I am barely able to work for 10 weeks at a time, it does allow for me to fully focus on my studies during those periods. The same is true for the industry phases and I do prefer it this way. Naturally occasionally topics pop up at work that require my attention, even during academic phases, but so far I managed them without issues.

3️⃣ What are your current tasks in the company – and which projects have you been involved in so far? How do you work with your colleagues?
I am happy to say that my tasks are both varied and plentiful. Currently I am reworking our Terms of Condition as well as revising product documentation, such as maintenance and installation manuals.
I have been involved in projects of all sorts and I hope this trend will continue. From rewriting all our datasheets to a new design and verifying some product features as well as being on site at customer ship yards and assisting in our systems installation.
This allows me to work with every single one of our departments. By doing so I am granted insights not only into how we design and manufacture our products but also why we do things in certain ways. This leads to a deeper understanding of the business than I would otherwise have access to. This generalist's approach to understanding multiple aspects of the business complements my studies in industrial engineering quite nicely.

4️⃣ Which moment or project at Optonaval has been the most fun for you so far – and why?
Earlier this year I assisted in the installation of one of our systems at a ship yard outside of Germany. This system included some rather intricate products of ours and I was happy to not only be able to pull my one weight but to provide a valuable contribution to the team on site. Before, I wrote a manual on how to install the product in the first place and the actual process of installation proved the accuracy of the manual. This combined with a successful acceptance test and my first time working on such a huge vessel has been a very rewarding experience.

5️⃣ Would you recommend Optonaval to others as a practice partner or employer – and if so, to whom in particular?
Definitely. I would recommend Optonaval to anyone who is tech savvy and interested in the maritime industry. While Optonaval is capable of fulfilling large orders, the team is relatively small. Therefore, you get to know everyone pretty quickly and are entrusted with interesting assignments and responsibilities from the start. All in all, I can recommend Optonaval as either a partner for dual studies or as an employer to anyone who is curious about the industry, open to working with a lot of great colleagues and willing to do the work. While the work is great, one should be aware that there is a lot of it.