Working with young people

‘As a firm that is committed to being socially responsible we know it is important to invest in the next generation. As an international business whose success depends on recruiting and retaining outstandingly talented people from all walks of life, wherever we operate in the world, we recognise we have a vested interest in developing the potential of young people. This understanding helps to shape our approach to diversity and our volunteering initiatives with schools, colleges and community organisations near our offices.’
Barry O’Brien, principal consultant and member of the Business in the Community/Business Action on Education leadership team

We recognise that investing in young people has important immediate and long-term benefits to business and society. Since 1999, we have been working in partnership with schools and community organisations to raise the aspirations and achievements of young people, especially those in disadvantaged circumstances, and to inspire and equip young people to successfully enter the world of work.

Volunteers in many of our offices participate in a range of schemes from team challenges and mentoring, to job coaching and work experience, designed to broaden horizons and improve confidence, motivation, communication and social skills, as well as develop specific skills such as reading, numeracy and languages. We hope this will increase each individual’s opportunities in life and help develop the entrepreneurs, employees and business leaders of the future.

We also participate in pro bono legal advice work that aims to protect the rights and improve the quality of life of disadvantaged young people, especially those with special educational needs or, most recently, those who have been abducted by one parent.

Job coaching in Germany

Our German offices have developed a variety of programmes for young disadvantaged people. Our offices in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Hamburg all provide job coaching to 16-17 year old students who have not been accepted into an apprenticeship after finishing school. External evaluation has shown that volunteers appreciated the opportunity to take part in the project and found they were able to expand their own skills and experiences and use their professional skills to the benefit of the young people. This programme was singled out in December 2006 as part of the Engagiertes Unternehmen (Engaged Business) scheme run by the office of the Prime Minister of the Federal State of Hessen.

Most of our offices in Germany are also involved in regular team challenges with schools and organisations working with young disadvantaged children, while volunteers from our Frankfurt and Berlin offices support reading programmes at local schools.

Child abduction pro bono work in Brussels

Volunteers in our Brussels office act as reading partners in local schools and have contributed a considerable amount of pro bono work aimed at young people. A team has been working with Parents and Children Together (PACT) on a project to help parents whose children have been abducted by their ex-partners, typically when a marriage between two people of different nationalities breaks up and one parent takes the child back to their home state without the consent of the other.

The team has been looking into possible remedies for parents who have been separated from their children, presenting the results in a report that examines the legal position of abducted children and their parents. European lawmakers are currently campaigning for EU legislation addressing the problem of cross-border abduction and the report has proved persuasive.

Click here for details of our programme in London, Mainland Europe, Asia and Middle East, and the US.