“This is where you truly grow into your craft”
Robbe’s journey didn’t start with a degree in his pocket. He earned it through hands-on experience at Callens — first as an intern, later as a bachelor’s thesis student. The remarkable part? From day one, he stepped into a world that was completely new to him. Steam boilers were a completely new world to him, but that only made it more intriguing.
They handed me a book from 1999 — a classic on steam technology where I learned the basic principles. Fascinating stuff! Afterwards, my colleague Ivan brought it all to life with real-life examples,” Robbe recalls.
Learning by doing
Robbe learned on the job: joining experienced colleagues in the field and rolling up his sleeves himself.
In the workshop, Robbe followed how a rental boiler is built. He even helped optimize the customer manual.
“That’s when you really see how theory and practice click.”
Next, he joined the technicians on site — and he suddenly saw the job from a whole new perspective.
“What struck me most was how much knowledge my colleagues have. They need an enormous amount of expertise to do their job, and they always aim for the highest quality. I found that incredibly inspiring.
That’s the kind of technician I want to become,” Robbe says with a smile.
Challenged — and successful — in his bachelor’s thesis
For his bachelor’s thesis, Robbe recalculated the existing designs of the rental deaerator, including the water treatment system. It wasn’t easy, but it was extremely educational. The results confirmed that he was exactly where he belonged.
The collaboration went so well that it led to a holiday job. As a service technician, he spent five weeks on the road every day.
“I was always very well supported,” Robbe continues. “And if you don’t know something, no one here puts you down. Quite the opposite: colleagues help you move forward so you actually get better. That felt hugely motivating.”
A future built on confidence
Today, Robbe is a full-fledged member of the service team on a permanent contract, where problem-solving skills and resilience under pressure are part of everyday work. And every day, he continues to grow — in knowledge, experience, and self-confidence.
