Responsible Summer Job 2013 challenges employers to recruit young people

Alma Media Corporation Press Release 24 January 2013, 7:00 (EET)

RESPONSIBLE SUMMER JOB 2013 CHALLENGES EMPLOYERS TO RECRUIT YOUNG PEOPLE

The nation-wide campaign promotes young people’s entry into working life

The Responsible Summer Job 2013 campaign challenges employers to offer young people more and better summer jobs and to take Finnish summer employment to a whole new level. The campaign, run by the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation (FCYF) reminds employers that a summer job is a valuable opportunity for a young person to get prepared for working life. A summer job is an important first encounter between an employer and a future employee. For the employer, summer work is an excellent opportunity to make a positive first impression, identify future top experts and teach the new generation of employees the skills they need for working life. The campaign, now being organised for the third time, gets underway on 25 January 2013 and ends in August 2013, when an award is given to the most responsible summer employer.

Economic changes reflect strongly in young people’s employment

By the year 2020, Finland will need 150,000 new employees. At the same time, a large number of young people remains unemployed, and extensive layoffs predict hard times for young jobseekers. In November 2012, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15-24 was 15.5%. As the number of work opportunities decreases, young people have fewer opportunities to practice basic skills required for work, and they run a greater risk of being excluded from working life for good.

“Lessons learned at home and in school are not enough to prepare young people for working life. A summer job is an extraordinarily important step for a young person on the journey to adulthood and working life. Having enough high-quality summer jobs for young people benefits everyone, because competent young people are the key to wellbeing in society now and in the future,” says Antti Järventaus, Development Manager at the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation.

Campaign offers ideas and support for employers

The Responsible Summer Job 2013 campaign supports employers in building up their employer image and in encountering youth. All employers that are interested in developing a responsible Finnish summer job culture are welcome to take part in the campaign. The campaign will highlight the principles of a good summer job, through which both the summer employee and employer stand to benefit more from the experience. Employers can register to participate in the campaign at www.nuori.fi/kesaduuni/ilmoittaudu (in Finnish)

The jobseeking service Monster.fi, which is part of the Alma Media Corporation, offers employers participating in the campaign the possibility to publish their own summer job advertisements at Monster.fi free of charge. The main partners in the campaign are Alma Media, Sonera and Monster.fi. The project is supported by a group of companies as well as student, trade and economic life organisations. The protector of the campaign is Karsten Slotte, President and CEO of Fazer.

More information

Riikka Poukka, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Alma Media Corporation, tel. +358 50 575 8217

Antti Järventaus, Development Manager, the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation, tel. +358 50 364 6410

Terhi Huttunen, Employer Branding Manager, Sonera Oyj, tel. +358 400 904 883

Maria Soini, Marketing Manager, Monster.fi, tel. +358 10 665 2723

Campaign website: www.nuori.fi/kesaduuni (in Finnish)


Alma Media in brief

Alma Media is a continually renewing media company whose better-known brands include Aamulehti, Iltalehti, Kauppalehti and Etuovi.com. Alma Media employs around 3,000 professionals. Net sales amounted to EUR 316.2 million in 2011, and operating profit was 13.3 per cent of net sales. Alma Media’s shares (ALN1V) are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange of the NASDAQ OMX. Read more at www.almamedia.fi

Partners in cooperation

In addition to the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation and the corporate partners, the campaign is being carried out by an extensive group of players who are united by their interest in matters related to young people’s working life. The organisations involved are the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), the Economic Information Office (TAT), The Finnish Association for Human Resource Management – HENRY ry, ProCom – the Finnish Association of Communications Professionals, The Association for Finnish Work and the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK. Young people are represented by The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL), The Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK and the SAKKI organisation for students in vocational training. The campaign is also being supported by Fazer, ISS Palvelut and YIT.

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