Split shipyard is attracting international workers.
“I moved from Barcelona to Split because I had wanted to become the best shipbuilding engineer in Europe. That is the reason why two years ago, after I have passed exams at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Spain, I chose to come to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split to write a thesis in English. After I graduated last year, I got a job at the Brodosplit Shipyard”, said the 28-year-old Spaniard David Oscar Garcia Amorena, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on August 24, 2015.
He explained that he had always wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. “My grandfather Emilio Garcia Losa was a designer of marine engines in Barcelona. The shipyard closed in 2010. Maybe one day I will make it open again. I could work in other shipyards in Spain, but I got a chance to come to Croatia, to learn your language and work in the Split shipyard, which is well-known in Europe. Not only because of its long tradition, but because it is one of the last in Europe where the whole construction process of certain types of ships can be done, starting with the project drafting and the production of ship engines. Brodosplit has the last factory of diesel engines in Europe where large two-stroke engines are constructed. That is the reason why I have gained very good professional experience in Split”, added David Amorena.
His first job was in the diesel engines factory. Now he temporarily works in the project office and says that it is important for his professional development. “Yes, one day I could become a top shipbuilding engineer. But, I have to pass through all the stages of the construction of ships and learn from the best engineers who have 20 or 30 years of experience. And I can do it all here. Soon I will get back to constructing new engines, which is my passion. Over the next few years, the new ships in the European Union will have to use natural liquefied gas”, said David Oscar Garcia Amorena.
He grew up in a big family and has a sister and three brothers, but in Split he lives alone. “I cook Spanish dishes. I visit my family whenever I can, the last time I saw them was two weeks ago. My father lives a hundred kilometres from Barcelona, the youngest brother is in France, a cousin is in Denmark, so I have to travel a lot to visit them all. But I like that. The family is proud that I live in Croatia and work at the shipyard. While I am young, I do not care about money. My goal is to work with the best people in the company, learn from them, and become a better worker and a better person. I like that people here think the same way. I am sure that Croatia will make significant economic progress in the next ten years.”
“I might stay here for a long time”, said the young engineer who invited citizens of Split to come to Đardin on 26 September, the European Languages Day, where he will teach them the basics of the Spanish language.
