Responsible Summer Job 2014 challenges Finnish employers to help with summer jobs

Alma Media Corporation       Press release        3 December 2013 at 7:00 a.m. (EET)

RESPONSIBLE SUMMER JOB 2014 CHALLENGES FINNISH EMPLOYERS TO HELP WITH SUMMER JOBS

The Responsible Summer Job campaign again asks Finnish employers to participate in a joint effort for better summer jobs. More than 50 employers have already joined the campaign, offering almost 13,000 summer and seasonal jobs in all. On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December, the summer job campaign wants to challenge employers to provide more summer jobs with a better range for young people with disabilities.

There are some 30,000 persons with disabilities willing to work in Finland. Young people with disabilities want to learn and use their skills in practice in the same way as others, but in the race for jobs, they often do not even reach the first bend. In the worst case, there is the risk of young people willing and able to work being transferred directly to unemployment pensions – for the rest of their lives.

The Responsible Summer Job campaign and the Vamlas Foundation, whose aim is to help children and young people with disabilities, will combine their forces to make workplaces consider whether they could offer youth with disabilities or partial work ability an opportunity for a summer job and a positive summer job experience.

“It is always worthwhile to invest in summer jobs for the young, especially during a recession. However, even more should be invested in summer jobs for young persons with disabilities,” says Pauliina Lampinen, Executive Director of Vamlas.

Having a summer job is a valuable experience for a young person

The Responsible Summer Job campaign challenges employers to hire more summer staff and give them better jobs. The campaign is a reminder of the fact that a summer job is a valuable experience for a young person: in a summer job, young people learn skills that they cannot acquire from school or home. Without work experience, young people run a greater risk of being excluded from working life for good. All employers are welcome to join the summer job campaign. To join the campaign, visit www.nuori.fi/kesaduuni  

The Finnish Children and Youth Foundation arranges the Responsible Summer Job campaign. The main partners in the campaign are Alma Media, Sonera and Monster.fi, which offers the employers taking part in the campaign an opportunity to publish their summer job advertisements free of charge. The project is supported by a group of companies as well as student, trade and economic life organisations. The sponsor of the campaign is Peter Vesterbacka, “the Mighty Eagle”, CMO of Rovio.

More information
                                                                
Riikka Poukka, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Alma Media Corporation, tel. +358 50 575 8217, riikka.poukka@almamedia.fi

Anne Virtanen, campaign project manager, the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation, tel. +358 40 740 8877, anne.virtanen@nuori.fi

Pauliina Lampinen, Executive Director, the Vamlas Foundation, tel. +358 50 408 7734, pauliina.lampinen@vamlas.fi

Terhi Huttunen, Employer Branding Manager, Sonera Oyj, tel. +358 400 904 883, terhi.huttunen@teliasonera.com

Maria Soini, Marketing Manager, Monster.fi, tel. +358 10 665 2723, maria.soini@monster.fi

Campaign website www.nuori.fi/kesaduuni

Alma Media in brief
Alma Media is a media company focusing on digital services and publishing. In addition to news services, the company’s products provide useful information related to lifestyle, career and business development. The services of Alma Media have expanded from Finland to the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Central Europe. The company employs approximately 1,900 professionals (excluding distributors), of whom over 20% work outside Finland. Alma Media’s revenue in 2012 totalled approximately MEUR 320. Alma Media’s share is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Read more at www.almamedia.com

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