Did you know that 59 million young people worldwide are unemployed?
Young people who are growing up without a loving and supportive family are particularly at risk of being excluded from the labour market because they can’t count on the support networks most of us take for granted. They often don’t have positive role models, access to skills training or work experience. The result for many is unemployment or unreliable short-term work, and ultimately, poverty.
You can help change this by offering mentoring through YouthLinks to your employees. Young people are our future leaders, teachers, employers and parents. By ensuring they can reach their potential you will be helping create a lasting impact.
What is YouthLinks?
YouthLinks is a global virtual platform that allows people based in the UK to mentor young people around the world. It uses mobile technology to offer young people a range of activities, including access to mentors, training and career opportunities, that increase their skills and employability. Based on Facebook Workplace, YouthLinks digitally connects young people aged 16 – 25 in SOS Children’s Villages’ programmes with mentors from the corporate world, various institutions, and other partners – maximising and scaling the impact of our mentorship programmes.
What are the benefits for your organisation?
- YouthLinks gives you the opportunity to reinforce your corporate social responsibility strategy and become a global citizen
- Be an active contributor to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and make a tangible impact on young people’s lives
- Access to a model that increases employee satisfaction and professional and personal development
- A tangible opportunity to communicate your commitment to tackling global youth unemployment
After going through the programme, 92% of mentees reported increased self-esteem and 89% said they better understood the skills required for their careers.
The relationship between mentors and mentees is amazing. We really had a chance to share things with one another, to learn from one another. I even had the chance once to talk about astronomy, which is my hobby. The best thing was when the mentors explained things from their lives, how they came to DHL and what they did before that. I have never had contact with someone from such a large company before. Everyone was incredibly nice to us. And I think that it is so great that they do all of that voluntarily – teach us so much!
To get involved, contact our Corporate Partnerships team by email at corporate@sosuk.org or give us a call on 01223 365 589.
YouthLinks has been launched in 17 countries:
Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Benin, Brazil, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Colombia,
Costa Rica, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Lithuania,
Morocco, Madagascar, Nigeria, Palestine, Peru, Rwanda, Russia, Sri Lanka,
Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay and Vietnam.
