The Global Alliance for YOUth is celebrating its first decade of existence this year. It is a corporate alliance created and co-founded by Nestlé to help young people advance their careers and find opportunities. Over the past decade, 25 global member companies have provided over 40 million career development opportunities to people aged 18 to 30 around the world. First founded in Europe during a challenging economic environment, the Alliance for YOUth was the first private sector movement dedicated to helping young people gain the skills they need to thrive in the workforce. Its ambition was to create over 100,000 job opportunities in the region.

In 2019, the Alliance expanded globally to become the Global Alliance for YOUth. Since then, it has made significant strides in its mission to: Create development opportunities: Member companies have collectively created more than 40 million development opportunities for young people globally. Grantees have been able to jump-start their careers with their first jobs, gain essential skills to improve their employability, and receive support to start or grow their own businesses.

Empowering vulnerable youth: The Alliance partnered with JA Europe to address the needs of disadvantaged communities, including refugees and marginalized youth in Germany and Poland. Empowering young changemakers: In partnership with the Global Shapers Community and Accenture, the Alliance launched an annual innovation prize aimed at empowering young innovators to address urgent social and environmental challenges.

Promoting essential digital skills: The Code4YOUth hackathon was launched in partnership with Hcl Tech, Microsoft and Publicis Group to promote digital inclusion, foster creativity and support young people in developing essential digital skills. The seven finalists, out of 5,000 applicants, had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts, with the potential for their solutions to have a lasting impact on communities around the world.

Expanding the contributions of member companies: Nestlé alone has connected 7.7 million young people with jobs, internships and apprenticeships, as well as training opportunities since 2017. In 2023, it facilitated nearly 24,000 placements and nearly 11,000 apprenticeships for people under 30, with a special focus on developing agricultural entrepreneurs.

“With rapid technological advances, including artificial intelligence, the nature of work is undergoing significant changes,” said Laurent Freixe , CEO of Nestlé, founder and chairman of the Global Alliance for YOUth. “Today, our mission is more relevant than ever. By promoting dual education, digital inclusion and continuous development of soft skills, we are preparing young generations for the world of work. Young people, often digital natives, are uniquely positioned to adapt to these changes and, when enabled, can drive deep and lasting social change, while expanding the talent pool of member companies.”

For her part, Irina Berestova , a Ukrainian recipient of the JA Europe Honour project, said: "The Honour project has provided me with a roadmap and tools to contribute to my continued integration into the German labor market. The project workshops and support I received have been instrumental in positioning me for future success. I am grateful for this amazing opportunity and would like to express my sincere gratitude for the support given to me and other young displaced people."