Coca Cola HBC Initiative to help Young Unemployed in Ireland

Coca Cola HBC launched the #YouthEmpowered initiative earlier this week which will provide training to 400 unemployed young people in both Ireland and Northern Ireland in its first year, helping them to get on the road to meaningful employment.

The #YouthEmpowered programme has been especially created by Coca-Cola HBC to target young people not currently in employment, education or training and who need additional support to get back on the right track. The programme will be delivered in partnership with Fastrack to IT (FIT).

The development of the curriculum involved a huge investment and it is designed to help remove existing barriers
for young people between the ages of 18 and 30. These would be people who have left the formal education system but have been unable to gain employment.

Currently youth unemployment sits at 12.7% and remains higher than the national unemployment level which stands at 6.3%. Just over 32,000 young people across Ireland are unemployed with 11,000 of them in long-term unemployment.

Chair of Oireachtas Children and Youth Affairs Committee, deputy Alan Farrell, said that, as a country, “we need to ensure our young people are provided with every opportunity to be successful in their lives, and in their chosen career paths”. “Everyone, when growing up, needs a bit of guidance and support. Programmes like Youth Empowered, which go back to basics, are important as they provide our young people with the opportunity to avail of life skills which will better equip them with knowledge and experience that will undoubtedly benefit them in their futures.”

Young people interested in participating in the programme can log on to fit.ie or Coca-ColaHellenic for more information.