Upskilling, career growth and job security among top expectations of young workers, new survey finds

08-Jun-2022 - Switzerland

Today's youth seek employers that offer competitive salaries, career growth and job security, according to the post-pandemic Global Youth Survey study. At the same time, young people want flexible working hours. They feel confident about having the right skills for employment for the next five to ten years.

The survey also reveals that young workers believe that corporations should take responsibility for their employees' mental health, provide digital access and achieve their sustainability commitments.

The study identified youth unemployment and climate change as the two critical global issues with youth unemployment ranking number one in Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe, while climate the top one for Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Global Alliance for YOUth and the Global Shapers Community, powered by NielsenIQ, conducted the Global Youth Survey study with nearly 2,000 people in the 18-29 age group across 19 countries¹. The goal was to better understand the youth's pain points and aspirations post-pandemic.

The International Labour Organization predicts that there will be no return to pre-pandemic job levels until at least 2023. It projects that in 2022, the number of hours worked globally will decrease to the equivalent of 52 million full-time jobs versus in the fourth quarter of 2019.

"This generation has been more affected by the pandemic than any other," said Laurent Freixe, Nestlé's CEO for Latin America and the Global Alliance for YOUth Founder and Chair. "Young people need help to enter and develop in the labor market. The Global Alliance for YOUth members, Nestlé included, are committed to work together to provide solutions to youth unemployment."

Nestlé is working to address the challenge of youth unemployment through its Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative. Created in 2013, the program helps equip young people with the skills they need to thrive in tomorrow's workplaces and find jobs. Nestlé Needs YOUth also focuses on supporting young entrepreneurs to kickstart and grow their business and to gain the right skills to help feed the world.

The findings of the Global Youth Survey were presented today at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. Their implications for companies globally and potential solutions were discussed in a joint panel with members of the Global Alliance for YOUth: Laurent Freixe, Nestlé's CEO for Latin America, Christoph Catoir, Adecco's President and Angelika Gifford, Meta’s Vice-President for EMEA. The session was facilitated by Liz Kakooza, member of the Global Shapers Community.

¹Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1176267/upskilling-career-growth-and-job-security-among-top-expectations-of-young-workers-new-survey-finds.html