Only 25 per cent of employers offer internships, apprenticeships: Survey

Social media expertise, IT knowledge top youth skills

While youth unemployment is a prevalent issue, only 25 per cent of Canadians say their place of employment offers intern or apprenticeship programs to help youth gain entry-level experience, according to a survey by Nestlé Canada.

But nearly all respondents (96 per cent) agreed internships and apprenticeship programs are valuable tools that help youth gain practical and valuable experience they can use to enter the workforce.

When it comes to the strongest skills and qualities this demographic brings to the table, social media expertise (68 per cent) and IT knowledge (65 per cent) came out on top, found the survey of 1,555 people.

A strong percentage also recognized this group provides adds value through their fresh perspective (58 per cent) and bridge the gap by tapping into today’s trends and latest innovations (55 per cent), found Nestlé Canada, which is launching a Youth Initiative program designed to provide tangible training opportunities and experiences for more than 5,000 young adults over the next three years.

The initiative consists of four pillars:

Get Skilled: Nestlé is committed to increasing internships by 25 per cent over three years across all Nestlé in Canada businesses.

Get Hired: By 2017, Nestlé will increase new grad hires by five per cent across all Nestlé in Canada businesses through formalized training programs and entry level positions.

Get Support: Nestlé is providing “ready-to-work activities” including networking events, career counselling, information sessions and recruitment workshops at universities and colleges.

Get More Opportunities: Nestlé is reaching out to partners to encourage them to open their doors to create opportunities for young adults across Canada.

Latest stories