Faces of the future

As part of ITIC’s centenary celebrations, a new initiative has been launched: a year-long apprenticeship in collaboration with the London Nautical School. This programme provides one student with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across the shipping industry by working with ITIC.

The first recipient of this scholarship is Malik Hinds-Adam. In this interview, Malik outlines how he hopes this year will impact his future career plans and what he is looking forward to the most…

What inspired you to apply for this apprenticeship with ITIC?

When I first considered my career path, university didn’t seem very appealing to me and on the other hand I liked the thought of doing an apprenticeship, being able to get hands on experience while learning and earning. So, when the opportunity was presented to me I decided to try my best at being the person selected.

You attended the London Nautical School. Were there any particular topics, or subjects, that interested you the most?

I wouldn’t say there were any particular subjects that interested me the most. The different aspects of the subjects I did like in maritime studies included: the hands on experience, getting to sail a boat for five days and going to the Isle of Wight to do a training course about first aid.

What do you like the most about the maritime sector?

What I like most about the maritime sector is how interconnected it really is. It’s not just about ships and ports, there are a variety of other components that go into marine globally. All operations playing key roles in making sure everything runs smoothly. 

What skills do you have that will help you succeed during your apprenticeship? 

The skills that I think I bring to the apprenticeship that would help me succeed are my curiosity, 
discipline and younger narrative. 

Which part of the programme are you most curious about and why?

I’m most curious about meeting new people at the social events ITIC have in store for me like the OSCAR dragon boat race I participated in which was very entertaining and meeting people from UKP&I and UKDC. The reason why I’m most curious about this part of the programme is because it is nice to understand and hear what other people do, what they did to get their role and what part of their job they find most fun. 

How do you balance being in the office with still studying?

How I balance working in the office and my studies is by having a day dedicated to studying, this day would be a Friday. If I have any priorities of studying content during the week I’ll use some of my working time to study.

What personal qualities do you most want to develop during this year?

The personal qualities I want to develop the most during this year would be my critical thinking, since there is a wide range of things that could happen when doing my job role and I want to be as precise as possible when something new hits my task list. 

What do you hope to achieve by the end of your year?

By the end of my apprenticeship year, I hope to gain as much information about the maritime industry as possible, whilst having the opportunity to network both within Thomas Miller and with external firms. I’ve had the chance to visit places I hadn’t heard of before such as Lloyd’s of London, a remarkable place, that I don’t think I would have been able to see if I hadn’t joined this apprenticeship. 

What are your hobbies and favourite past times?

My favourite hobbies are playing football, exercising, cooking, reading and watching anime.

What is your favourite food?

I wouldn’t say I have a favourite food, but what I’ve been eating a lot recently are banana pancakes that I make at home.

What is your favourite film?

Again, I don’t have a favourite film, which sounds sad, but if I had to pick it might be Spiderman Across the Spider-Verse or Entergalactic because the art style is just amazing.

What is the last book you read?

The last book I read was the Psychology of Money.

What is your favourite saying?

A saying I say a lot in my personal life is “everything happens for a reason.”