Global beverage giant Nestlé has launched a  Youth Camp with aims to bring together key players in the youth employment sector to not only provide effective solutions to help youth develop professionally in an enabling environment, but also to inspire young people in Côte d’Ivoire.

Since 2013, Nestlé, under its global Nestlé Needs YOUth program, has committed to help 10 million young people access economic opportunities by 2030.  This initiative is centered on the pillars of employment/employability, entrepreneurship and agripreneurship.

The issue of youth employment is a real challenge in Côte d’Ivoire. While economic opportunities exist, the youth employment rate according to the World Bank was only 27.6% in 2017. Job creation is essential, but equipping the youth with the skills to match these professions is just as important.

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It is based on this that Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire launched the Youth Camp in 2018. The Youth Camp is a platform for students and graduates under 30, to interact with professionals and entrepreneurs, learn from their experiences, gain insight on making informed career choices and boost their employability. These sessions have so far reached more than 2,500 youth.

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The Youth Camp aims to bring together key players in the youth employment sector to not only provide effective solutions to help youth develop professionally in an enabling environment, but also to inspire young people.This year’s event was chaired by the Minister of Youth Promotion, Professional Integration and Civic Service, Mr. Mamadou Touré, in the presence of the Minister of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Apprenticeship, Mr. Koffi N’Guessan. Mr. Mamadou Touré  in his remarks stated, “I congratulate Nestlé, whose initiative is part of the dynamic of government decision and action to make the professional integration of youth a priority. The Ivorian population is very young with more than 77% of the population under 35 years old. Each year, we have nearly 400,000 people graduating from school but only 100,000 formal jobs created.”It is worth noting that Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire, Nestlé Nigeria, and Nestlé Central and West Africa Region (CWA) have been certified as Top Employers (https://bit.ly/3CQYUxE) by the global authority, Top Employers Institute, in 2021.Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire’s Technical Training center has also enrolled 5 batches of young graduates since 2017 of which 76 have been certified. This year, the company has also launched an internship program and a series of talks to prepare young people for employment

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry