Nestlé Burkina Faso has organized two fora to build entrepreneurship and employability skills of 1,500 young people from Ouagadougou and Bobo- Dioulasso. They were provided with tools that will enable them to take their first steps into entrepreneurship or land their first internships or jobs.
During the fora, young people had the chance to interact with recruiters, Advisors from the Government Youth Agency, and business leaders including Mr. Laciné DIAWARA, Honorary President of the Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They shared their knowledge and experiences to help the young talent grow.
At one of the fora in Bobo-Dioulasso this Thursday July 6 ,2023, Mr. Sidiki DIAWARA, Managing Director of Nestlé Burkina Faso, indicated that these activities form part of Nestlé Group's desire to enable young people to access more economic opportunities. "Young people are the pillars of the economic, social and environmental development of nations. It is our common responsibility to provide them with the tools to strengthen their know-how and interpersonal skills, so that they can fully occupy their rightful place in their communities", he said.
Every year, thousands of young people join the job market in Burkina Faso with the desire to be hired or to start their own business. It's important to support them by equipping them with key technical and behavioral skills.
To help bridge the gap, Nestlé Burkina Faso organizes coaching sessions every year with students at various universities and business schools in the country. Many young people also continue to benefit from practical experience through internship programs or entrepreneurship projects initiated by Nestlé.
As part of its commitment to young people, Nestlé Burkina Faso works with public and private institutions, and is particularly pleased with the recent collaboration with the Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
These youth fora are part of a worldwide Nestlé program called the Global Youth Initiative. Here in Burkina Faso, more than 6,000 young people have already benefited from this program.
Launched in 2014, the initiative aims to help 10 million young people around the world gain access to economic opportunities by 2030. Nestlé's Global Youth Initiative focuses primarily on employment, employability, and entrepreneurship.