Business & Money | Sunday 27 January, 2019 10:45 am |

The Global Alliance for YOUth announced at the World Economic Forum its ambition toimpact 6 million young people, helping them build employability skills.

The Global Alliance for YOUth is a business-drivenmovement of like-mindedorganizations passionateabout working together to help young people around the globe get the necessary skills to thrive in the world of work, today andtomorrow. 

According to The World Economic Forum, over 60% of children entering primary school today will have jobs that do not exist yet. At the same time, the World Bank estimates that 60% of the world’s population remains excluded from the ever-expanding digital economy. Four billion people around the globe still lack access to the internet.

Traditional education, if available, no longer prepares young people for the current and future world of work. Convinced that companies have a huge opportunity to develop and draw from the largest pool of talent and human capital that has ever been available in human history, 20 international private companies have decided to join their forces in a Global Alliance for YOUth to build a better future for younger generations.

“The Global Alliance for YOUth represents our joint effort to provide youth with the knowledge and skills needed to work in the 21st century. Our companies are committed to support, develop and advocate for programs that enable young people to successfully transition from education and training to employment, and to develop an entrepreneurial mindset” said Laurent Freixe, Nestlé CEO for Zone Americas.

To date, 20 multinational companies have joined the alliance as founding members: ABB, Adecco, BBVA, Cargill, Cemex, Engie, EY, Facebook, Firmenich, Mercer, Mastercard, Microsoft, Nestlé, Nielsen, Publicis, Rockwell Automation, SAP, Starbucks, Vodafone and White & Case. The Alliance is proud to work with non-private sector partners such as the World Bank, Solutions 4 Youth Employment’.

Nestlé founded the Alliance for YOUth in Europe in 2014 with the purpose of helping prepare young people to enter the professional world. After its successful launch, the alliance was expanded to the Pacific Alliance countries in 2017 (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) and the Mercosur countries in December 2018 (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay).

 

About Nestlé Middle East

Nestlé Middle East’s heritage goes back over 80 years to 1934 when the first import operation was set up in Lebanon. Today, Nestlé Middle East owns and operates 18 factories and provides direct employment to more than 13,000 employees who are all committed to Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. It also provides indirect employment to several thousand more.

 

The Nestlé portfolio in the region currently exceeds 60 innovative product brands in a wide range of categories: dairy products and infant nutrition, bottled water, chocolate and confectionery, coffee creamers, breakfast cereals, culinary products, health science, skin health, and Pet Care, among others. Nestlé Nido, Nestlé NAN, S-26, Progress, Maggi, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Coffeemate, Nestlé Cerelac, Nestlé Fitness, Nestlé Pure Life, Nespresso, Optifast and Cetaphil are just some of the brands available in the Middle East.