Helsinki, Finland, 2014-1-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Last year, Kesko and K-stores launched a programme aimed to provide employment to at least 1,000 young people in the youth guarantee target group by the end of 2014. Up to date, 520 youths have started work at K-stores and Kesko in different parts of Finland.
Most of them received work at K-food stores in August-December 2013. Young people have also been provided work at Anttila, Intersport, Kesport, Musta Pörssi, Kookenkä, K-rauta, Rautia and K-maatalous, VV-Auto and Keslog. The programme has got off to a promising start especially in the Greater Helsinki area and Northern and Eastern Finland.
Kesko’s Board of Directors granted €100,000 to start up the programme last year. A significant contributor to the success of the programme has been a project coordinator hired by the K-Group to act as a liaison between K-retailers, Kesko and TE Offices.
– It is important for the success of Finland that young people enter working life as soon as possible. Retail trade is the biggest employer in the business sector with more than 300,000 employees. Kesko and K-stores will continue to need diligent young people with an interest in working in the trading sector and the right service attitude, says President and CEO Matti Halmesmäki.
The K-Group employs around 45,000 people in a total of eight countries. In Finland, Kesko and K-retailers employ around 30,000 people, of whom around 20,000 are employed by K-retailer entrepreneurs.
The K-Group’s results in the implementation of the youth guarantee programme so far were announced at Kesko’s 17th Day of Commerce Seminar. The theme of the seminar was “Young people are the future of Finland”. The speakers at the seminar were Minister of Social Affairs and Health Paula Risikko, K-retailer and the Kesko Board Chair Esa Kiiskinen, Service Union United PAM’s President Ann Selin, Hyria Education Ltd.’s President and CEO Jarno Tuimala, Startup Sauna’s CEO Miki Kuusi and Rautakesko’s Product Manager Aleksandra Hämäläinen. The seminar attracted around 600 key representatives of trade and industry. Presentation materials can be downloaded from the www.kesko.fi website starting from 21 January.
Further information:
Vice President Ari Svensk, Human Resources, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 105 322 080
Managing Director Jaana Hertsberg, K-Retailers’ Association, tel. +358 105 336 289
Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. We are a retail specialist with about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, and Belarus. Our stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers. Kesko and K-retailers form the K-Group, whose retail sales totalled around €12 billion (VAT 0%) in 2012.
###