After finishing his initial education in electrotechnology, Lourens Schaak immediately continued a follow-up course as Engineering Technician level 4. In August 2013 he came to Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology as an intern during his third year of college. Both parties valued the working relationship so much that Lourens also completed his final fourth year internship with us, and was immediately hired as an electrician after graduation.
Seven years on, he has grown considerably in his field and is currently active in various yachtbuilding and other maritime projects. Lourens installs entire electrical systems in various spaces onboard, often together with some of his Polish colleagues whom he supervises. Between projects he also takes care of smaller individual jobs and emergency service activities.
Lourens starts his day with a cup of coffee at the facilities in Urk before he and his colleagues drive to the project site to which they have been assigned. One day they might be laying cables, the next connecting units or making equipment operational. Days can also be spent meeting other parties to discuss how to install systems. “We do sometimes encounter serious challenges, especially when our systems have to be built into very tight spaces,” says Lourens. “But that makes the eventual successful outcome all the more satisfactory!”
One of the most memorable projects Lourens worked on was the Tecate beer brewery in Mexico. “I visited the location twice a month with a colleague. I’d never been so far from home before and it was my first brewery project too. It was fascinating to see the kind of activities Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology takes on abroad. And it was very educational, too. The great thing about working abroad is that after your hard work you have the time to explore the surroundings. One Sunday afternoon my colleague Klaas and I visited San Diego to visit and got to play the largest open-air organ in the world. That made the trip extra special!”
Lourens describes Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology as an innovative, educational and flexible business. “You get many opportunities to learn new things, including new systems and working on significantly different projects. The variation in my work ensures I continue to very much enjoy working at Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology.”
