Røkke’s summer job at her father’s workplace at Rolls-Royce Marine in Ulsteinvik sparked her interest in maritime studies. She’s now in her third year at Ulstein Upper Secondary School, studying at a specialised line combining vocational training with general education. This line is a school/industry collaboration project qualifying students to go on to take an engineering degree. Røkke is now doing the practical part of her studies at Ulstein Verft and is halfway toward becoming an industrial mechanic. 

 

“This year we have two days a week of on-the-job practical training and three days a week of regular classroom instruction. That’s an excellent way to learn. We apply a lot of what we learn in school to our work at the yard,” she says.

 

The students attend four years of upper secondary school. In those four years they earn both a diploma and a certificate of apprenticeship. The students can choose among several mechanical subjects for their apprenticeship qualification. In addition, they earn an upper secondary degree. Hanne and the other students rotate through the various departments at the yard, trying their hands at different tasks.

 

“Each company that takes on apprentices from our line has a slightly different programme. Both the company and employees at Ulstein have given me a warm welcome. At Ulstein there are many apprentices and other young people, as well as a good social environment. It’s therefore easy to find someone your own age to talk to,” she says.

“Yes, I want to study engineering at the marine engineering department at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim,” says Røkke.