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Nestlé Celebrates International Youth Day with Various Initiatives

Commemorations in the UAE in collaboration with the Dubai General Authority of Youth and Sports Wellfare, and the United Nations
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Dubai, UAE

Nestlé Middle East is commemorating International Youth Day this year with an update on various Nestlé Needs YOUth initiatives, impacting more than 4,000 young people across the region where over one third of employees are under 30 years old.

The world’s Nutrition, Health and Wellness leader is also collaborating with the Dubai General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and the United Nations at an event highlighting key youth related issues in the UAE, featuring speakers from the Company, local government, the UN, and various private sector entities.

Nestlé is outlinining at the event its youth-related practices in Creating Shared Value, which is the fundamental way it does business based on the principle that for a company to be successful, it should not only create value for shareholders but also for society at large.

In a region where youth unemployment rates reach 27%, Nestlé in 2015 was the first company to publish 20 forward looking commitments including one in the area of People and Compliance, which is to “Foster further opportunities of starting and developing careers for the youth in the Middle East.”

This is being done through the launch and expansion of a number of programs, mainly implemented under the umbrella of the Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative – which promotes the strengthening and development of the skills and employability of young people.

“Nestlé Middle East believes in taking an active role to foster career opportunities for the youth through Enhancing Employment to enrich our local talent pipeline for skilled workforce and future leaders in our Company,” said Christine Geary, Human Resources Director at Nestlé Middle East. “In the past five years, we have employed close to 2,000 young people below the age of 30.”

“We also work towards Fostering Youth Employability, by preparing graduates, providing opportunities, and bridging the gap between university education and corporate expectations.”

Nestlé Needs YOUth encompasses a number of existing programs including the Nestlé Center of Excellence that has trained 134 graduates since it first opened in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and then Oman in 2014. This replicable training model is planned to expand into Iran and Kuwait in 2017.

Also implemented under its wing are regular Readiness for Work events, including CV Clinic workshops and mock interviews training in various countries; Business Case Studies competitions; and the Graduate Development Program which fast-tracks career development within Nestlé.

Nestlé Middle East also recently called for an Alliance for Youth to bring together as many entities as possible that share the same objective of enhancing opportunities and skills among the region's youth, “because we know from experience in other regions that our efforts can have a bigger social impact through partnerships and collaboration,” concluded Geary.

Launched by the United Nations in 1999, International Youth Day is observed annually on August 12. It is meant as an opportunity for governments and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide, involving concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings.

For more information, please contact:

Lynn Al Khatib, Media Relations Manager
Nestlé Middle East
[email protected]

More on Career training at Nestlé Middle East:

The Nestlé Center of Excellence, a Nestlé training academy founded in 2012, has already trained 134 graduates from Saudi Arabia and Oman in the following programs: Business Executive Certificate for Women, Nutrition Development Program for Women, and Sales Training Academy.

The Graduate Development Program is a three-year rotational development program that aims to recruit distinguished graduates from leading universities in the region. They are developed through comprehensive, multi-dimension on-the-job training, equipping them with functional and behavioral skills to prosper in their careers. The Program covers Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, Finance and Control, Supply Chain and Technical. It has hired 46 graduates since 2009.

Career advising: Working with universities across the region to offer expert advice to students in the areas of readiness for work, employability, business and corporate environment, and leadership.

About Nestlé Middle East

Nestlé Middle East’s heritage goes back 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 11,000 people and 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, and culinary products, among others. Nestlé Nido, Nestlé NAN, S-26, Progress, Maggi, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Coffeemate, Nestlé Cerelac, Nestlé Pure Life, Nespresso and Nestlé Fitness are just some of the brands available in the Middle East.

To know more about Nestlé Middle East’s activities, you can visit our social media pages below: 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NestleMe
Flikr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestlemena 
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NestleMiddleEast 
Website: www.nestle-me.com

Youth who wish to apply for jobs: www.nestlecareers-me.com or LinkedIn page – Nestlé Middle East

Companies who wish to join the Alliance for Youth, please contact us at: [email protected]