Nestlé celebrates 10th anniversary of Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative

Nestlé is commemorating the tenth anniversary of Nestlé Needs YOUth, an initiative that was introduced to enhance the employability of young individuals during a period of soaring youth unemployment in Europe.

Over a decade later, the initiative has expanded globally and assisted more than five million young people, including farmers and entrepreneurs, in building essential skills and in taking advantage of career opportunities.

"Our goal is to help 10 million youth access economic opportunities by 2030, and I am proud of the impact we have made so far," says Laurent Freixe, Nestlé's CEO for Zone Latin America and founder of the Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative. "In this decade of experience, we have learned to continuously adapt to the evolving challenges we face, both as a business and as global citizens. We renew our commitment to supporting present and future generations for a sustainable future."

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), in 2022, some 73 million young people were still unemployed or earning very low wages.

Through its Youth Entrepreneurship Platform (YEP), Nestlé is also supporting creative young people looking to pursue their own business ventures or develop innovative solutions. It enables young individuals to acquire knowledge and skills, enhance their abilities, test an idea or grow their businesses, in areas ranging from food science and technology to the development of products and services, regenerative agriculture practices and sustainable packaging.

One year after its launch, YEP has reached an ever-growing community of more than 10,000 registered users.