Agbar is the winner of the seventh edition of the Alliance for Dual Vocational Training Award in the Large Company category. The jury of the awards, organized by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the CEOE Foundation, highlighted Agbar's commitment to this type of training, which contributes to quality employment for young people in the water sector. The awards gala took place at the CEOE headquarters on June 7, and the award was collected by Toni Bru, Agbar's Director of People and Organization.

The Alliance for Dual Vocational Training Award recognizes Agbar's track record in promoting the development of this training modality in Spain, in collaboration with public administrations and educational centers in different autonomous communities (Catalonia, Galicia, the Canary Islands, Madrid, Murcia, Andalusia and the Valencian Community).

This Award recognizes "Agbar's firm commitment to Dual Vocational Training, which has been persistently and steadily promoted over time, to be deployed in the different territories where we are present, as part of our commitment to talent and quality employment," said Toni Bru, Agbar's Director of People and Organization, who received the Award from Antonio Garamendi, Chairman of the CEOE, the host of the gala.

With Dual Vocational Training, the company is involved in the organization of training beyond traditional internships, with the provision of content with curricular value in the workplace. Thus, Agbar has promoted the design of sector-specific training cycles such as the Intermediate Level Training Cycle in Water Networks and Stations and the Higher Level Training Cycle in Water Management, in different institutes with the collaboration of the group's operators in Spain, and under the coordination and educational support of the Water School.

The deployment of Dual Vocational Training, which consists of a vocational training modality that alternates between the educational center and the company, is part of an integral model of professional qualification promoted by Agbar that includes continuous training in the company, the accreditation of professional competencies and the incorporation of qualified young talent in the sector.

This model has made it possible, for example, to reinforce an innovative vision of quality digital learning, offering specific courses on the different processes of the integral water cycle and specific training stages for Dual Vocational Training teachers. In addition, training has been provided for company tutors, through workshops in collaboration with the Bertelsmann Foundation; expert professionals have been made available as teachers at the centers; and technical visits have been organized to several of the group's integral water cycle facilities.

"This recognition is above all a lever to reinforce our integrated strategy of professional qualification, which has Dual Training as the basis for attracting and learning young talent in the operational field," added Toni Bru.

The Alliance for Dual Vocational Training Award was created in 2017 by the Bertelsmann Foundation to recognize and reward the best projects that reflect and promote the commitment to Dual Vocational Training in Spain. The aim of this initiative is to raise awareness among the business community, educational centers, organizations and society of the need to promote quality Dual Vocational Training in Spain, which contributes to a reduction in youth unemployment, an improvement in the competitiveness of companies and a rapprochement between the business and educational worlds.