ADECCO JOINS GLOBAL APPRENTICESHIPS COALITION TO TACKLE GLOBAL TALENT MISMATCH

The GAN is a network of companies that seeks to address global skills shortages and create opportunities for young people. The coalition focuses on improving the status of apprenticeship programmes by offering apprenticeships and internships and by sharing best practices with other companies and labour administrations. International companies such as Télefonica, Ericsson, Huawei Technologies, UBS, Jindal Steel & Power and Samsung Electronics have to date also joined GAN. The network is supported by the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and BIAC, the independent international business association which advises government policy-makers at OECD and related platforms.

The announcement follows the publication of the first edition of the Global Talent Competitive Index (GTCI)[i], compiled by INSEAD, in partnership with the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore (HCLI) and Adecco. The purpose of the study is to provide a neutral, global and respected index that enables private and public players to assess the effectiveness of talent-related policies and practices, identify priorities for action in relevant areas and inform international and local debates in the talent arena. The GTCI, which ranked 103 leading economies according to their ability to attract, retain and develop talent, revealed that many countries are struggling to match talent with market demand. According to the Index, European economies are leading the struggle for talent but a lack of investment in technical and vocational skills, in particular, is deepening the skills gap in the global labour market.

Adecco Group CEO, Patrick De Maeseneire, commented:

“Talent has become the key resource of our global economy. There are serious skill mismatches between education systems and the needs of companies. Companies are constantly looking for the right talents in a more and more technologically enabled global economy. I strongly believe that Governments and companies need to work more closely together to build labour markets where education systems create the skills to match employers’ needs. The GTCI shows that countries with the lowest unemployment rates foster and develop talent by making their labour market more flexible, by investing in lifelong learning, vocational training and by promoting geographical mobility. The link between the worlds of work and education needs to be structurally established and apprenticeships are a successful model to tackle these challenges. We are looking forward to sharing our expertise with the GAN network and further improving the role of apprenticeships.”

Brent Wilton, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), said:

“We are delighted that Adecco Group is prepared to share its extensive experience with the GAN. Adecco Group’s own philosophy ‘better work, better life’ sums up why it is so important to empower young people with the skills business needs, for the benefit of society as a whole.”

To take action and give a helping hand in alleviating youth unemployment, on April 30 the Company also launched the second edition of the Adecco Way To WorkTM programme. Thousands of Adecco employees hit the streets, visited schools, universities and public places in more than 900 cities in 54 Countries. In total, they met over 600,000 people across the world, providing tips on interview techniques and CV editing and holding free training workshops in thousands of branch open days. Moreover, until the end of May job seekers can visit www.adeccowaytowork.com and apply for 100 one-month work experiences available. Candidates simply need to upload a 30-second video telling Adecco what their core talent is, and the selected ones will take up their roles during the month of July. Candidates can also opt to apply for a unique opportunity: to become the ‘CEO of Adecco for one month’ under the direct supervision of the Group CEO, Patrick De Maeseneire. A once-in-a-lifetime chance for only one candidate in the world to demonstrate their skills, knowledge and talent in a highly challenging position.

For more information about the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN), please visit:

www.global-apprenticeships.org/

For more information on Adecco Way to Work™, please visit:

https://www.adeccowaytowork.com

[i] For more information about the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), please visit: www.adecco.com/industry-insights/gtci.aspx