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Around 200 firms join Nestlé’s Alliance for YOUth in Europe

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Around 200 companies have joined forces under Nestlé’s Alliance for YOUth to tackle the youth unemployment crisis in Europe, pledging to create more than 100,000 opportunities for young people in the coming years.
 
In the context of a challenging economic environment, with little to no growth, the Alliance for YOUth is committed to working hand in hand with policy-makers and the education sector to foster both job employability and job creation.
 
“With more than 200 companies from all over Europe, the Alliance for YOUth is the first pan-European business-driven movement pledging to help young people be better prepared to enter the professional world and improve their chances in a challenging job market,” said Laurent Freixe, CEO Nestlé Europe.
 
Key issue for the young
According to a new survey carried out by Nielsen, 23% of young people in Europe see unemployment as the biggest problem faced by society over the next five to 10 years. The survey was done for the Alliance initiative.
 
Some 55% of those questioned who were unemployed said that governments were most to blame for not resolving the lack of opportunity for young people.
 
Around 2,000 young people across the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain aged between 18 and 29 years took part in the survey. The results also revealed that 40% of those within the 21 – 24 age group feared that job prospects in their country were not good over the next 12 months.
 
The Alliance for YOUth Pledge
The Alliance for YOUth companies have pledged 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.
 
Nestlé has created more than 8,600 opportunities in the last eight months.
 
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 will be active members of the European Commission’s European Alliance for Apprenticeships, promoting apprenticeships and training as active ambassadors of vocational training across Europe.
 
Global and local partners from across Europe
Last June, together with 14 European business partners and 13 Portuguese partners, Nestlé launched the Alliance for YOUth in Lisbon. Other committed local business partners will be announced on 18 September.
 
Founding firms include recruiter Adecco, insurer AXA, international food group Cargill, logistics group CHEP, packaging company DS Smith, consultants Ernst & Young, social networking company Facebook and perfume and flavour firm Firmenich.
 
Information technology firm Google, consumer insights group Nielsen, communications firm Publicis Groupe, technology firm Salesforce, information exchange platform Twitter and law firm White & Case have also already signed up to the Alliance.
 
The Alliance for YOUth is the fourth pillar of Nestlé’s European youth employment initiative, Nestlé Needs YOUth, launched in Athens in November 2013.
 
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