AVK CSR 2023-24 web - Flipbook - Page 40
As women are underrepresented in leadership
positions within the AVK Group, we have
focused on highlighting women in our industry
in connection with International Women’s Day
over the past few years. On this day, we share
stories through internal and external media that
showcase the contribution of several female
employees across different companies in the
AVK Group.
Educating the next generation
We do not only focus on the education of our
employees. We believe it is our responsibility
to educate the next generation of employees
and partners and to create a forum where we
can share the latest knowledge, technologies,
and trends within the water industry. Likewise,
we always have trainees and student workers
among our employees.
For more information on gender balance in
management, please see the “Report on
inequal gender representation in management”
in the section on “Policies and ESG reporting”.
For the past few years, AVK Holding has
participated in the Danish nationwide campaign
“Girls’ Day in Science”, now “Science Day”,
which aims to inspire more young people to
choose an education in the field of science,
technology, engineering, or mathematics
(STEM education) and ensure more diversity in
education choices and in Danish workplaces.
As part of the campaign, we invite local
students to a one-day event at the AVK
Academy & Visitor Centre to spark their interest
in our industry and introduce them to a variety
of job opportunities.
Education
We strive towards achieving a culture of
knowledge by making it easy for our employees
to update their knowledge and strengthen their
competencies. We do this to help them feel
equipped to perform their job and act according
to the values of the AVK Group. Therefore, we
have developed an e-learning universe for all
employees, the AVK Ecademy.
The AVK Ecademy is an increasingly important
part of employee training. It is part of the
onboarding process for new hires and ongoing
employee training. Furthermore, it offers
management a platform to deliver online
training to a wide group of employees. This
includes mandatory courses, such as IT
security, which all employees with PC access
are required to complete. And as mentioned
in the section about occupational health and
safety, all manufacturing employees must
complete a safety training module to avoid
accidents.
Additionally, new key employees in the Group
participate in an in-depth introduction course
to provide a thorough insight into AVK and our
expectations to them as managers.
40 | AVK Sustainability report 2023/2024
Bachelor of Business and Water Technology
The water industry is experiencing a growing
demand for sales people and advisors with
expertise in business and the latest water
technology. For years, AVK Holding has
advocated for a more business-oriented
education that highlights the opportunities
within the water industry and emphasises
understanding the various business cases
surrounding water’s journey through society. We
aim to inspire young people to take an interest
in good water infrastructure and contribute
to the changes needed for better and more
efficient water management.
In collaboration with Aarhus Water and
Aarhus Business Academy, we have been
actively involved in the development of the
new bachelor’s degree in Business and
Water Technology, from the initial concept
to ministerial approval. In August 2024, the
programme welcomed its second cohort of
students.
Advanced Water Cycle Management Course
Since 2019, AVK Holding has participated in
the summer school course “Advanced Water
Cycle Management” alongside other companies
and utilities from Eastern Jutland, Denmark,
all of which contribute their knowledge and
expertise. This is an international course
designed to upgrade the students’ skills within
water management, while also improving
knowledge and giving a wider understanding of
water resource management, water distribution,
wastewater treatment, and recycling of
resources.
The course is offered by the Centre for Water
Technology at Aarhus University, Denmark,
and counts for 5 ECTS credits. This year,
45 participants of 14 different nationalities
participated.
Interest has been shown from countries
such as India, Morocco, and Ukraine to host
local versions of the Advanced Water Cycle
Management Course, and the city government
of Dubai has been inspired and now intent to
enter into a cooperation agreement to set up a
similar education.
Read more about the Danish-Middle Eastern
education collaboration in the chapter “Our
partnerships for a sustainable development”.
