International Water Association honors company’s innovative dedication to career path, idea incubation
Clear career paths and robust professional development programs are crucial for engineering and construction companies seeking to attract and retain top talent. Black & Veatch, with industry-leading initiatives aimed at matching its talented workforce with innovative global projects in new markets, has been awarded the International Water Association’s Professional Development Award.
The honor, given to the company at the recent IWA conference in Tokyo, cited Black & Veatch’s EDGE (Experience, Develop, Guide, Excel) and NextOpps programs as “strong pillars of in-house career building” that also include advanced onboarding, mentoring and idea incubation, such as the company’s Growth Accelerator initiative. The Growth Accelerator is the “intrapreneurship” arm of Black & Veatch, with a goal of fostering, supporting and building what’s new across the company’s business units.
Black & Veatch “developed a creative way to give young professionals access to global projects without having to relocate and having a say in the type of work they are involved in,” the IWA jury stated in its decision to honor the company. “The training and innovation programs give young professionals opportunities to develop skills in different areas and expand their network in the organization.”
The IWA Professional Development Award recognizes water sector companies that are making a significant contribution to the professional development of their employees, and through that support the attraction, development and retention of the next generation of water leaders. It is awarded every two years at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition.
Black & Veatch’s EDGE program provides a unique combination of rotational job experiences and structured training curriculum to accelerate a professional’s progression and broaden their development. The company’s NextOpps platform connects professionals to short-term opportunities, giving project managers access to agile talent pools to complete tasks. The Growth Accelerator uses inventive, company-wide idea-generating programs to discover new markets and drive revenue growth.
“When our professionals are given the tools and the space to develop and stretch their skill sets, we become a stronger and more nimble company,” said Katie Schultz, Black & Veatch Director of Human Resources focused on workforce solutions. “This honor is a humbling validation that investing in the growth of our professionals can produce significant gains for both our organization and the professionals themselves.”
About the IWA
The International Water Association is the largest international network of water professionals working towards a water wise world, with members in more than 130 countries. Its work focuses on developing solutions for water and wastewater management. As a knowledge hub for the latest science, technology and best practice in the water sector at large, the IWA works to place water on the global political agenda and to influence best practice in regulation and policy making. www.iwa-network.org
Media Contact Information:
CHRISTOPHER CLARK | +1 913-458-2778 P | +1 816-674-0572 M | ClarkCA@bv.com
24-HOUR MEDIA HOTLINE | +1 866-496-9149
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building critical human infrastructure in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2018 were US$3.5 billion. Follow us on social media.
