The Youth Career Initiative Pilots Human Trafficking Awareness Training for Hotel Staff in Mexico

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) October 21, 2011 - The Youth Career Initiative (YCI), a six-month education programme that provides disadvantaged young people with life and work skills in leading hotels, launches its first training workshop in Mexico this week for hotel staff working with participants who have survived human trafficking. Course attendees include General Managers, HR and training managers, representatives of YCI’s local coordinating partners, and staff of local shelters.   The half-day training programme is also aimed at representatives from other partner organisations in the target locations for this project. This workshop is conducted with partial support from the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP).   The training has two main aims: to raise awareness about the complex issue of human trafficking, particularly within the context of the hotel industry; and to enable hotel staff coordinating the YCI programme to better support participants who have survived human trafficking. Facilitated by a team comprised of human trafficking experts, as well as hotel staff, the training workshop offers a general overview of the issue before delving into particular challenges within the hospitality industry. It also provides an insight into the victims’ experience including the rescue and recovery process, while encouraging discussions about how to support the re-integration of survivors.   The training course was developed with input from a range of local shelters, anti-trafficking organisations, governmental organisations and hotel companies. Leading hotel companies participating in this Mexico pilot include InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International Inc., and NH Hoteles.   As a new adaptation of the YCI model, this pilot project aiding the re-integration of survivors of human trafficking will initially run in three pilot countries (Mexico, Brazil and Vietnam). The first pilot is currently running in Mexico City with 45 young people, 15 of whom are survivors of human trafficking. The eventual aim is to scale up the project to involve all 11 participating YCI countries. 
Notes to Editors

• Funding for this training workshop was made possible in part by an award from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons [S-SGTIP-10-GR-0078]. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of State nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

• The Youth Career Initiative (YCI)  www.youthcareerinitiative.org is a six-month education programme delivered in partnership with the international hotel industry that provides disadvantaged young people with life and work skills. YCI aims to empower young participants to make informed career choices and realise the options available to them, enabling them to improve their employability and enhance their long-term social and economic opportunities. The initiative has been in operation since 1995 and provides a practical platform for governments, companies, and non-profit organisations to work collaboratively towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – in particular poverty alleviation.

For further information, please contact: Alberto Canovas, YCI Programme Manager
Email: alberto.canovas@iblf.org. Tel: 020 7467 3643.

• The International Tourism Partnership (ITP), founded in 1992 and part of the International Business Leaders Forum, brings together the world’s leading international hotel companies to provide a voice for environmental and social responsibility in the industry. It works todemonstrate in a very practical way that environmental and social responsibility makes good business sense. ITP does this by highlighting best practice, offering a range of practical products and programmes and tackling emerging sustainability issues through its collaborative working groups.  ITP’s programmes and products include, among others, the Youth Career Initiative, the Green Hotelier online magazine, the Environmental Management for Hotels handbook, and Sustainable Hotel Siting, Design and Construction. The combined reach of the membership extends to over 22,000 properties, over 3.2 million rooms and over 1.5 million employees in over 100 countries worldwide.

For further information, please contact: Francesca Leadlay, Programme Manager Sustainability
Email: francesca.leadlay@iblf.org. Tel: 020 7467 3646.  

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