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thyssenkrupp Elevator is partnering with SOS Children’s Villages to support young people in regions with severe youth unemployment rates. In the first phase of Project SEED (Support, Educate, Elevate and Develop), up to 60 SOS youth in Colombia, 100 in Brazil and 130 in India will receive assistance from thyssenkrupp and its employees, who will volunteer as trainers, mentors and role models, offering their expertise and access to their professional social networks, while the company will provide selective financial aid to entrepreneurship projects, and offer apprenticeships and career opportunities. The first phase of the program will last for one year.
The program initiated in Bogota, one of seven SOS villages located in Colombia. The kick-off event consists of a workshop for the staff of the SOS Children’s Village and the local employees of thyssenkrupp Elevator. The goal is to identify activities for each of the youth participants, given their specific needs and the resources available.
Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of thyssenkrupp Elevator, participated in the Project SEED kick-off workshop in Bogota. “I was eager to attend the first session to emphasize the importance of learning, talent nurturing and the engagement of employees in effective social responsibility activities for our company,” Schierenbeck says. “Our business is the design, manufacture, delivery and servicing of advanced urban mobility solutions that contribute to making cities the best possible places to live. Naturally, that also means supporting equitable social balance and quality of life.”
Schierenbeck first visited Colombia in 1995 and subsequently lived and worked there for six months each year from 2000 to 2003. During his time in Colombia he gained a profound appreciation for the “optimism, perseverance and warmth” of the Colombian people.
"Today, youth unemployment is a global challenge, but children and youth who have grown up in alternative care or in a SOS Children's Village face a much bigger challenge," Petra Horn, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages says. "At the moment, 60 percent of young people have a job one year after they left family-based care and 71 percent make at least satisfactory progress in education. Our 2030 Strategy aims to bring both of these numbers above 90 percent by 2030."
“We only can fulfill these goals when we can find partners like thyssenkrupp Elevator. I'm so thankful and happy for the partnership with thyssenkrupp Elevator. They will support SOS and the youth tremendously by creating inspiring opportunities for young people and ensuring an equal chance for them to succeed in life."
In addition to the launch of Project SEED, thyssenkrupp also participates in the YouthCan! initiative, which builds on a strong alliance between non-governmental organizations, the private sector, governments and the commitment of young people eager to advance in life. thyssenkrupp Elevator champions training, growth opportunities and talent development for all of its 52,000 employees, particularly through its “seed campus” network of more than 15 fixed and mobile learning centers located across all continents.
