Strong Start for Nestlé’s Youth Employment Initiative

04 Jun 2014 --- Since the start of the year more than 4,000 young people under the age of 30 across Europe have benefited from ‘Nestlé needs Youth’, an initiative designed to help tackle youth unemployment.

Nestlé has pledged to find employment opportunities in Europe for more than 20,000 young people under 30, strengthening their professional skills to help them find jobs - within the company, with its suppliers, or elsewhere.

At the end of 2013, Nestlé UK&I announced it would create 1,900 employment opportunities across our British and Irish sites over the next three years with roles offered across all areas of the business and at all levels – from operators on the factory floor to field sales assistants and business management. In addition, the company committed to develop its work experience programme to give individuals real life paid work experience that will add real value to both the individual and the organisation.

This year, more than 155 young people have been found regular full-time jobs across the UK and Irish business with a further 66 have been given apprenticeships or enrolled in training programmes and an additional 36 having received temporary contracts.

On top of that, Nestle has run more than 70 CV clinics at its sites, in schools and through unemployment centres to help young people better their employability skills and through a partnership with social enterprise MyKindaCrowd, Nestlé has also reached a further 5,676 14-19 year olds through online skills challenges.

Already planning ahead for the second half of the year, more than 130 young people have been offered the opportunity to join Nestle UK&I on training schemes with a further 50 apprenticeships and 105 work placements also being recruited for.

Fiona Kendrick, Chairman and CEO Nestlé UK&I said: “The first results of our initiative are more than encouraging. We are only just at the start of this and I am confident that the opportunities we are offering will ensure that thousands of British and Irish young people are able to gain the skills they need.”

Later this month, Nestlé will launch the second step in the Alliance for Youth initiative which will look to create even more opportunities to tackle youth unemployment in Europe by involving  the company’s partners and suppliers.

The event, due to be held in Lisbon in Portugal, will involve representatives from the Commission and other politicians, as well as senior business figures from across Europe.