• “Alliance for YOUth” delivered 50 000 job and training opportunities in one year
• Apprenticeships and traineeships lead to real employment
• Companies point to ‘dual learning’ as a way out of youth unemployment in Europe
“Alliance for YOUth” companies have provided training and jobs for 50 000 young Europeans in one year. This is half of the 100 000 opportunities they have pledged last year to create in 3 years.
The “Alliance for YOUth” is a business-driven initiative that wants to promote youth employment in Europe. Initiated in 2014 by Nestlé, it now unites close to 200 companies.
“Alliance for YOUth” companies have also been involved in more than 5 400 so-called ‘readiness for work’ activities, which include CV clinics, job fairs, job interview preparations and other support events for young graduates.
“After one year of activity, we can say that the “Alliance for YOUth” creates a new dynamic.” says Luis Cantarell, Executive Vice President for Nestlé. “More than 60% of the business partners have already improved youth recruitment practices and youth employability since they became involved in the Alliance.”
Apprenticeships and traineeships lead to real employment
According to a survey conducted by global insights firm Nielsen among 635 business managers and human resources professionals from 70 “Alliance for YOUth” companies in 22 European countries, 66% of respondents say that apprenticeships and internships are likely to lead to permanent employment. Many countries, especially in the south and east of Europe, are not yet organised to offer this way of dual learning, a mixture between formal education and on-the-job training.
“Dual learning helps young people to gain experience and confidence before they enter the job market”, says Christophe Cambournac, European President of Nielsen, a member of the “Alliance for YOUth”. “In addition, it helps to feed the talent pipeline of companies, matching skills with the jobs on the market. This is important as society is changing at a much faster pace than traditional school curricula can adapt to. Many of the jobs that will exist in 10 years are not yet around today.”
Companies point to ‘dual learning’ as a way out of youth unemployment in Europe
When designing dual learning programmes the “Alliance for YOUth” business partners have experienced the important role governments can and should play in fostering better collaboration between business and schools or universities. Governments are also key in promoting these schemes across a wide variety of sectors and profiles all across Europe.
The plea was made at a debate in the European Parliament. The event involved European Commissioner for Employment Marianne Thyssen, several members of the European Parliament as well as youth organisations and senior representatives and youth from the “Alliance for YOUth” companies.
Speaking at the debate, European Commissioner for Employment Marianne Thyssen said: "The fast implementation of the Youth Guarantee in close cooperation with companies is crucial to facilitate school-to-work transitions and get young people into jobs. Member States have to take advantage of this opportunity and the financial support the EU makes available. Last week the Commission transferred almost €1 billion to Member States to help up to 650,000 young people find jobs, apprenticeships, traineeships or continued education."
“Alliance for YOUth” companies have recently set up new dual learning schemes across Europe in collaboration with universities and schools, but they often face bureaucratic hurdles. 26% of the companies believe that the administrative burden linked to these schemes is a barrier to setting up new youth work schemes. This refers for example to the long procedures to get government authorization to change education curricula.
ENDS
For further information please call the Nestlé Press Office on 0208 667 6005 or email [email protected]
Editor’s notes:
About the “Alliance for YOUth”
The “Alliance for YOUth” companies have pledged in 2014 to develop a number of joint and individual initiatives to give young people meaningful work experience and internships, generating more than 100,000 jobs and training opportunities. The companies will also mobilise their employees to go out into the community and help young people get ready for work by offering practical advice, CV clinics and interview preparation.
The “Alliance for YOUth” partners are active members of the European Commission’s European Alliance for Apprenticeships, promoting apprenticeships and training as active ambassadors of vocational training across Europe.
Founding firms include recruiter Adecco, insurer AXA, international food group Cargill, logistics groups CHEP and DS Smith, consultants EY, social networking company Facebook, perfume and flavour firm Firmenich. Information technology firm Google, food and drink producer Nestlé, consumer insights group Nielsen, communications firm Publicis Groupe, technology firm Salesforce, information exchange platform Twitter and international law firm White & Case. To date close to 200 companies across Europe have joined “Alliance for YOUth”.
Link: www.nestle.com/jobs/global-youth-initiative
About the Youth Guarantee
The Youth Guarantee, launched in 2013 by the European Commission, is a commitment to all young people under 25 to get a good-quality job or training offer within 4 months after leaving formal education or becoming unemployed. A total of €3.2 billion EU funding underpins that commitment. Nevertheless, its uptake by national authorities remains well below expectations.
Despite a slowly recovering economy, youth unemployment remains problematic in Europe, with 4.8 million (20.9%) under 25 years old unemployed in March 2015. Highest youth unemployment rates are found in Italy, Croatia and especially Greece and Spain, where more than half of the young people are looking for a job.
Agenda YOUth debate
http://www.eu40.eu/alliance-for-youth-the-parliament/
Flickr
Launch of the "Alliance for YOUth" (June 2014): https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestle/sets/72157645324875441/
Launch of the "Alliance for YOUth" across Europe (Sept 2014): https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestle/sets/72157647721645396/
“Alliance for YOUth” events at European Parliament (May/June 2015): https://www.flickr.com/photos/133170200@N02/albums
Best practices
"Alliance for YOUth" best practices: http://www.eu40.eu/alliance-for-youth-best-practices/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT2oqTwW05T84i_NqNrs99A
Twitter
@NestleEU - #ALLiance4YOUth
All documents are available at: http://www.eu40.eu/alliance-for-youth-press-kit-content/