Nestlé to launch youth initiative across Europe

The company moves to help over 20000 European youth in the labour market

Athens, 15 November 2013 – “Nestlé will provide employment opportunities to 10,000 young people across Europe in the next three years” announced Laurent Freixe, Nestlé Executive Vice-President and Zone Director for Europe in Athens on Friday. In the framework of the Nestlé Youth Initiative, the company offers apprentice positions and traineeships to another 10,000 young people under 30, launches school consultation programmes and calls upon its European suppliers to join the initiative. Several Nestlé partners in Hungary have already indicated to participate in the initiative.

Nestlé announced a comprehensive initiative to assist the employment of European youth on Friday. The company will provide work or apprenticeship/traineeship opportunities to 20,000 European youth under 30 in the scope of the Nestlé Youth in the fields of production, administration, marketing, finance, research and development.

“Today, one in four young people in Europe does not have a job,” said Laurent Freixe, Nestlé Executive Vice-President and Zone Director for Europe on the problem that affects employees and companies alike when announcing the initiative in Athens, the capital of Greece, a country where more than half of those under the age of 25 are without work. “As we continue to grow and invest in Europe, we want to do all we can to strengthen and develop their skills, and improve their employability, regardless of their level of education,” he said. The initiative, the first of its kind on such a scale, is built upon the company’s continued commitment to investing in Europe throughout the economic crisis, Mr Freixe added. The European Union’s Commissioner for Education, Androulla Vassiliou said she welcomed the Nestlé Youth Initiative as an example of how the private sector can contribute to Europe’s recovery.

The Nestlé Youth Initiative is built on four pillars. As part thereof, the company also launches school and college counselling programmes to hone young people’s job seeking skills. In addition, Nestlé also encourages its over 60,000 suppliers in Europe under the “Alliance for Youth” programme to join the initiative. All European units of the Nestlé Group is involved in the implementation of the initiative, including Hungary.

Pillars of the Nestlé Youth Initiative

1. Job opportunities in production, administration, marketing, finance, research-development for 10,000 youth under 30 in Europe until 2016.

2. Apprenticeship/traineeship offers for 10,000 youth under 30 in Europe until 2016.

3. The initiative will also feature a “Readiness for work” career counselling programme in Europe for schools and colleges (CV clinic, interview training, counselling).

4. “Alliance for Youth” The alliance of Nestlé suppliers to support the goals of the initiative and to provide workplaces and work experience.

The initiative in Hungary

Several Hungarian companies showed a commitment to join Nestlé’s efforts as it was mentioned at the announcement of the Youth Initiative in Budapest. Mike Nixon, Managing Director of Nestlé Hungária Kft. said: “We have constantly developed our capacities in Hungary in the past years. As a result, the number of employees increased by 25% since 2012.” As part of the initiative, we increase the number of apprenticeship/traineeship positions by 50% and offer job opportunities to 180 trainees in the next three years, he added.

Read more about this here: Nestlé_Youth_Initiative_Press release_131115