Hapag-Lloyd says the initiative has a strong talent-development impact, with around 50% of summer seafarers later choosing a seafarer apprenticeship at the company. Among them are three summer seafarers boarding the Santos Express together. Erik Hirsch, Head of Maritime Training at Hapag-Lloyd, said the summer seafaring programme is often the first genuine contact young people have with commercial shipping. Guntermann said the summer seafaring programme was his first real step into maritime shipping. The VDR summer seafaring programme has introduced young people to maritime shipping since the 1960s.