thyssenkrupp Elevator and SOS Children's Villages launch 'Project SEED' - an initiative to improve youth employability in India

thyssenkrupp aims at training 150 youth in India
Some teenagers get the opportunity to intern or work at thyssenkrupp Elevator
Supporting underprivileged communities in cities around the world is part of thyssenkrupp Elevator's vision of making cities the best places to live

After a successful start of the partnership in Columbia and Brazil, Urban mobility expert thyssenkrupp Elevator is partnering with SOS Children's Villages - a respected global NGO - to support young people in regions with severe youth unemployment rates. thyssenkrupp and its employees will provide training to around 150 youth in India in the form of soft and basic skills training, career guidance, entrepreneurship support and real-world work experience. The aim is to help these young people successfully become employable and independent adults.

This initiative in India is part of Project Seed. Prior to India, SOS youth in Colombia and Brazil have received similar training from thyssenkrupp and its employees. With the launch of Project SEED, thyssenkrupp participates in the YouthCan! initiative, which builds on a strong alliance between non-governmental organisations, the private sector, governments and the commitment of young people eager to advance in life.

In today's world, youth unemployment is a considerable social challenge, with one third of young people worldwide without access to education, training or a job of any kind. As per the Government of India, the country is facing a paradoxical situation where on the one hand young men and women entering the labour market are looking for jobs; on the other hand industries are complaining of unavailability of appropriately skilled manpower. This paradox reflects the criticality of skill development to enhance the employability of the growing young population and also to gear-up the economy to realise the target of faster and inclusive growth.

As part of Project SEED, the company aims to address skill development inadequacies and enhance employability nationwide thereby assisting the 'Skill India Mission'. Local thyssenkrupp employees 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 program will commence in Pune which is one of the 32 SOS villages in India. 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.

them aware of the importance of social responsibility activities," Schierenbeck said, "Besides contributing towards the advanced urban mobility solutions for making cities best possible places to live, Project SEED also aims at social balance and improved quality of life among the youth of India."

Talking about the future goals of the initiative, Petra Horn, CEO of SOS Children's Villages, said: "Young people make up a growing percentage of the total number of children and youth supported through SOS Children's Villages programmes. At the moment, 60% of young people have a job one year after they left family-based care and 71% make at least satisfactory progress in education. Our 2030 Strategy aims to bring both of these numbers above 90% by 2030.

"We only can fulfil 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."

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 on all continents.

This network also provides part of the inspiration for thyssenkrupp Elevator's partnership project with SOS Children's Villages. This is also reflected in the name: Project SEED aims to Support, Educate, Elevate and Develop.

SOS Children's Villages is an international non-profit organization that provides family-like environments and a good education for at-risk children in vulnerable communities. As the children grow into adulthood, they also receive ongoing support designed to help them obtain a steady job and a satisfying career.

About SOS Children's Villages:

SOS Children's Villages is the world's largest non-governmental organisation focused on supporting children without, or at risk of losing, parental care. The non-denominational organisation was founded in 1949 and today has a presence in 135 countries and territories.

SOS Children's Villages adheres to the principle that every child grows best in a family environment, with loving parents or caregivers, living together with their siblings, in a place they can call home.

SOS Children's Villages runs more than 2,500 programmes directly reaching more than a million children and adults. It partners with donors, communities, governments and other organisations to reach the children and their families, who need support, thus preventing family breakdown, and it advocates for governments to uphold their obligations with regard to child rights.

About us:

thyssenkrupp Elevator

thyssenkrupp Elevator brings together the Group's global activities in passenger transportation systems. With sales of €7.7 billion in fiscal 2016/2017 and customers in 150 countries, thyssenkrupp Elevator built its position as one of the world's leading elevator companies from scratch in a mere 40 years' time applying thyssenkrupp unique engineering capabilities. With more than 50,000 highly skilled employees, the company offers smart and innovative products and services designed to meet customers' individual requirements. The portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. Over 1,000 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers.

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