Eliash gains new experiences as a junior apprentice at Alfa Laval in Nakskov, Denmark

A determined wish to become a junior apprentice at Alfa Laval in Nakskov, Denmark, has come true for Eliash Kristiansen. Two days a week, he gets a break from school and reports to Alfa Laval as part of a new scheme for students in 8th and 9th grade who want a more practical education.

Spending two days a week as a junior apprentice gives 14-year-old Eliash the opportunity to see a world outside of school and gain experience in the daily life of an exciting company. He is one of the students taking advantage of the new scheme which is offered to those who want a more varied and practical education.

The first period as a junior apprentice has been a very positive experience for him: “I wanted to try something different because I was pretty tired of school and I’d heard great things about Alfa Laval since my uncle works there. It’s nice to have two days off from school where I get to do something completely different and experience everyday life in a workplace. There are some great people who have welcomed me.”

Alfa Laval in Nakskov has about 150 employees and is committed to being an open and visible company in the local community, especially towards local schools and youth education programmes.

“In a relatively small community like Nakskov on Lolland, it’s important that we as a company take responsibility for both the current and future workforce in the area,” says Gry Siemen Drescher, HR Business Partner at Alfa Laval in Nakskov. “That’s why we’re happy to welcome school students, interns, apprentices and others to support their path to education and employment.  This junior apprenticeship scheme is a perfect fit, and with Eliash as our first junior apprentice, we’re gaining valuable experience with the programme and, not least, a breath of fresh air among our experienced employees.”

The purpose of the junior apprenticeship is to give students in 8th and 9th grade the opportunity to choose a more practical education, where teaching in primary school is combined with internships at a company or practical learning courses. The student’s parents must, of course, give consent for the program, and Eliash’s mother, Jessie Kristiansen, has seen the scheme as a great idea for her son from the start: “It’s clear that we have a much happier boy, who has almost grown a metre during his time at Alfa Laval. Eliash is good with his hands and was getting a bit worn out from just sitting at a school desk, so this is a healthy and good break for him. They’re good at meeting him where he is and showing him that a vocational education could be a great opportunity for him – and at the same time, he’s still part of his class community and follows along up to the exams.”

Although Eliash has been the first junior apprentice at Alfa Laval in Nakskov, he will most likely not be the last, says Gry Siemen Drescher: “We want to do what we can to plant a seed in young people, and we need both unskilled workers, skilled workers, and university graduates. The junior apprenticeship scheme is a really good way into vocational education, and although the programme naturally requires preparation and planning in our daily routines, it’s all worth it.”