Initiative to employ people under 30 - Nestle unveils "Alliance for YOUth" scheme

To date "Nestlé Needs YOUth" has helped almost 5,000 young people find work or training opportunities. The "Alliance for YOUth" will help to mobilise companies who are determined to play a positive role in getting the young people of Europe into work.

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, the Prime Minister of Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal, Paulo Portas, and the Minister of Solidarity, Employment and Social Security, Pedro Mota Soares, joined Nestlé Europe CEO Laurent Freixe and Nestlé's business partners in Lisbon last week to sign up to the European Commission's "European Alliance for Apprenticeships".

- With more than 150 companies from all over Europe joining, Nestlé's "Alliance for YOUth" is the first pan-European business-driven movement pledging to improve the chances for our young people in a challenging job market - said Laurent Freixe, CEO Nestlé Europe.

Commission President Barroso said "I commend this initiative in supporting the European Commission's "European Alliance for Apprenticeships" by substantially increasing the efforts on promoting vocational training and offering apprenticeships/traineeships across Europe.

As part of its "Nestlé Needs YOUth" employment initiative, Nestlé has so far created 17 jobs in Serbia, some at the company headquarters and some at its factories in Surcin and Stara Pazova.