Hilton Worldwide Recognises Youth Unemployment is a Ticking Time Bomb

The five years since the global financial crisis began have seen youth unemployment rates explode upwards in most Western economies, joining the already high rates in their emerging counterparts. Those starting out tend not to have the experience employers are after, supporting the adage that it is easier to find a job when you are in one. The difficulties of young people leaving school for a world that offers ever more limited job opportunities are highlighted at a time when more than 75 million young people can't find jobs and countless more are underemployed.

Investing in opportunities for youth is not only a critical development issue but also a growth strategy for businesses around the world. Rising to this challenge is Hilton Worldwidewhich has commissioned a white paper titled, Creating Opportunities for Youth in Hospitality, from the International Youth Foundation (IYF), which actively highlights solutions to youth joblessness that the global hospitality sector is uniquely positioned to provide.

This white paper and Hilton Worldwide leadership provide a critical foundation for how hospitality companies can respond to youth development strategically, while also supporting their business goals. It spotlights the economic and social struggles facing the world's youth and the key issues that need to be addressed to solve these challenges. Leveraging insights gained through its partnership with Hilton Worldwide, IYF also presents the hospitality industry with a roadmap for action that focuses on creating career pathways for this emerging workforce while also meeting critical industry-wide hiring needs.

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Sangeeta Haindl is a staff writer for Justmeans on Social Enterprise. When not writing for Justmeans, Sangeeta wears her other hat as a PR professional. Over the years, she has worked with high-profile organizations within the public, not-for-profit and corporate sectors; and won awards from her industry. She now runs her own UK consultancy: Serendipity PR & Media.