Alliance For YOUth – two years on, its success is growing

Alliance for YOUth is an initiative launched by Nestlé in November 2013 to harness the power of the private sector in fighting unemployment among young people in Europe. Youth employment is a key issue for AXA, which sees the participation of the younger generation as an essential factor, in today’s fast-changing world, of the company’s long-term success.

On June 24, 2014, before an audience of 170 young people and a large number of volunteers from Nestlé and AXA, the AXA Group announced its participation in the program. Henri de Castries, CEO of AXA, Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, and Laurent Freixe, CEO of Nestlé Europe, dialogued with attendees, stressing the positive role that businesses can play in combating youth unemployment.

2014 and 2015, two years of commitment to young people

In 2014, Henri de Castries announced the plan to hire 20,000 young people in Europe by 2018, including 10,000 for salaried jobs and 10,000 for training opportunities in the form of internships or apprenticeships.

In the first two years since then, the Group has already offered positions to 13,881 young people in Europe: 9,079 direct jobs and 4,802 internships and apprenticeships. AXA has made good on its pledge, with 69% of its target achieved at the midway point.

AXA’s engagement is not just about hiring. AXA is also offering coaching and training workshops to help young people develop essential job-seeking skills (such as resume and interview preparation) and better understand the business world. More than 8,000 young people have benefited from these workshops, through interview simulations exercises in small groups, individual RH coaching, and self-marketing seminars.

Alliance for YOUth has a Facebook page where young people can view job offers and stay informed about events organized by partner companies.