McDonald to implement global initiative on decent jobs for youths

The commitment to reduce barriers to decent employment for the youth has gotten a major boost as McDonald has joined 43 partners who have pledged to reduce barriers to decent employment for youth while boosting access to decent work around the globe.

McDonald’s Corporation is the latest company to make a commitment to address the youth employment challenge within the framework of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, which is an initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 

Launched in 2016 by the executive heads of the UN, Decent Jobs for Youth is the global initiative to promote youth employment and ensure that young people have access to decent work in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

McDonald’s move to join the Global Initiative comes together with the launch of its new initiative called Youth Opportunity to reduce barriers to decent employment for two million young people around the globe by 2025.

Youth Opportunity will focus on pre-employment job readiness training, employment opportunities and workplace development programmes. 

The McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, David Fairhurst said: “Around the world, too many young people are finding that, through no fault of their own, there are barriers to entry into the workplace. We believe this needs to change.

“That is why McDonald’s and participating Franchisees are expanding our existing world-class workplace training and education programmes to go beyond those that we hire.

Together, we will leverage our scale for good and help these young people to develop the core workplace skills they need to get a job and the opportunities they need to kick-start their career and achieve their true potential – whether at McDonald’s or elsewhere.” 

Through the Youth Opportunity initiative, the company is piloting a pre-employment job readiness training programme in Chicago, with the goal of reducing barriers to employment for 4,000 young people in the city, before rolling it out to select cities in the U.S. starting next year.

This initiative will also be rolled out from 2019 to participating global markets through locally-relevant training programmes and partners. 

On her part, ILO Deputy Director-General for Policy, Deborah Greenfield said: “With 64 million young people unemployed worldwide, the youth employment challenge is vast and affects all countries.

The ILO is fully engaged in equipping young people with relevant skills for the labour market.

It works with governments and social partners in implementing targeted solutions to boost youth’s transition into quality jobs – jobs that protect their rights, afford them social protection and allow them a voice.

We welcome McDonald’s decision to pledge a commitment towards Decent Jobs for Youth, which aims at positive change in young people’s lives through positive action.”