THOUSANDS OF ADECCO EMPLOYEES WILL AGAIN HIT THE STREETS IN OVER 50 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

Young people are still the worst affected by tough labour market conditions around the world. To give a helping hand, Adecco employees will once again be making their expertise available to young job seekers and school leavers. On April 30 , Adecco employees in over 50 countries will be out in the streets, offering career guidance and free training workshops to help youngsters improve their employability.

Over the past year, there has been little or no improvement in youth unemployment figures, which continue to show the dramatic lack of jobs throughout Europe, in the US and some parts of Asia Pacific. Recent figures for Europe are critically high at 23.5% – with peaks of 53.6% in Spain and 58.3% in Greece. That means over 5.6 million people under the age of 25 are jobless in Europe. According to International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, over 75 million young people worldwide are currently looking for work.

The situation is further exasperated by the widespread mismatch between what companies need in terms of skills and what local labour markets can offer. Here too Adecco has taken action.The first edition of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) was launched in November 2013 by INSEAD, based on research in partnership with the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore (HCLI) and Adecco. The GTCI is a neutral, global index. It will enable private and public organisations to assess the effectiveness of talent-related policies and identify priorities for action.

Adecco Group CEO, Patrick de Maeseneire, commented:

“For the second consecutive year, more than 10,000 Adecco colleagues all over the globe will hit the streets to reach out to young people. As the world’s leading provider of HR solutions, we want to share our expertise with them. We want to give them advice on how they can take their first steps on the career ladder, how they can showcase their talents. Youth unemployment is, unfortunately, still the biggest problem of today’s world, and we just feel it’s our duty to help solve it. I also strongly believe that Governments and companies like ours should work hand in hand to create an environment where education and apprenticeships better prepare young people for what companies need. Today’s youngsters really deserve better. With our Adecco WayToWork programme, we want to turn what is potentially a lost generation into a loved generation.”

On Wednesday, April 30, 2014, Adecco employees in more than 50 countries will be out in the streets, at schools and universities offering career advice, guidance and free training workshops to help youngsters in their search for jobs. The initiative stretches around the globe. In the UK, Adecco employees will be delivering career workshops and offering advice at over 100 locations across the country. In the US, Adecco Staffing branches are holding open days in around 352 cities. Adecco Spain will be out on the streets in 110 locations with a ‘Job Fair’ taking place in Madrid. In France Adecco employees will be out offering advice and inviting youngsters into branches across the country. Many more activities are planned throughout Asia and Latin America. In Mexico, Argentina and Colombia, but also in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Adecco employees will be out in the streets and in schools and universities.

The Adecco Way to Work™ programme offers job searching tips through www.adeccowaytowork.com , a comprehensive resource for young job seekers including guidance on job applications, CV writing, preparing for interviews and much more.