NGI Launches Unique Trainee Programme in Geotechnics

In 2024, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) launched recruitment for Norway’s only trainee programme for geotechnicians. Students are recruited in the autumn before they graduate.

“NGI is involved in complex projects worldwide and needs versatile geotechnical engineers to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. That’s the main reason we established a trainee programme in geotechnics,” says NGI Director Lars Andresen.

In a 2021 post on NGI.no, Andresen and several other geotechnicians wrote that “there may eventually be a serious shortage of professionals with this expertise in Norway.” Since then, NGI has actively worked to educate more geotechnicians, including helping to establish a master’s programme in geotechnics at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). The trainee programme is the latest initiative in this effort.

Felicia Nordpoll, Linn Iveland Jacobsen, Fredrik Holen, and Joakim Lunde submitted their master’s theses before the summer and are now part of NGI’s first trainee cohort.

International Rotation a Major Draw

Linn Iveland Jacobsen, Fredrik Holen, and Joakim Lunde are currently doing the mandatory lab rotation, while Felicia Nordpoll has her first rotation in the offshore energy division.

“This is the foundation for all the engineers’ calculations. I didn’t get the chance to work with anything lab-related during my master’s, so I really appreciate being able to run tests here. Plus, it’s cool that NGI is a research institute and that we’ll eventually help develop new solutions for the entire industry,” says Joakim Lunde.

As her studies were coming to an end, Felicia Nordpoll found it challenging to envision what she wanted to work on within geotechnics. The new trainee programme allowed her to explore the breadth of the field.

“For me, it was primarily about being able to try out different parts of the discipline before deciding on a career path. During our studies, for example, we had no teaching on offshore geotechnics and seabed foundations. That’s why it was important for me to have one of my rotations in offshore energy,” says Nordpoll.

One rotation unites them all: all four have accepted a three-month placement abroad.

“The opportunity to travel and work in Australia was a key factor in choosing NGI and the trainee programme. I think it’s incredibly cool to be part of an international and diverse organisation. The Oslo office alone has over 40 nationalities,” says Linn Iveland Jacobsen.

Still Time to Apply

Interest in the programme has been high. Grethe Heide Arnesen, who works in recruitment at NGI, helped establish the trainee programme.

“All trainees get a customised path, designed based on their preferences and NGI’s needs. It’s been important for NGI not just to set up a standard programme, but to tailor each trainee’s development to ensure their individual interests are taken care of,” says Arnesen.

The application deadline for the 2026 cohort of trainees is 9 November 2025.