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Starbucks Connects With Top Brands To Hire 100,000 Young People

Starbucks is partnering with a variety of U.S.-based companies, including CVS Health, JCPenney, Macy’s, Walgreens and Walmart, to create the nation’s largest employer-led coalition to hire and train up to 100,000 young people.

Called the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, the coalition will aim to engage 16-24 year olds who are hindered by various barriers to jobs and education. By 2018, participating companies will provide these youths with apprenticeships, internships, training programs, and both part-time and full-time jobs.

The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative will make its official debut at the Opportunity Fair & Forum for Opportunity Youth, which will be held August 13 in Chicago. During the event, employers will train more than 2,000 youth and, at the end of the day, make at least 200 job offers. By partnering with the city of Chicago, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative aims to hire 1,000 young people over the next 18 months.

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Several companies already have made moves in support of the initiative, including:

  • CVS Health: The pharmacy health care provider has placed more than 1,500 people in Registered Apprenticeship career tracks, and plans to double that number over the next five years. The retailer also has unveiled Pathways to Health Care, which has awarded more than $4 million in summer internship wages to more than one million high school and college-age students.
  • Microsoft: Through Microsoft YouthSpark, the tech company has established partnerships with numerous nonprofits, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The group connects up to one million young people across the U.S., providing education, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
  • Starbucks: Up to 80% of the coffee chain’s workforce is Millennials, making it a top youth employer. The company has committed to hiring at least 10,000 Opportunity Youth in America over the next three years. Many participants will be eligible for the company’s Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which provides full tuition reimbursement for Arizona State University’s online bachelor’s degree program.
  • Taco Bell: Since its founding, Taco Bell has employed more than one million teens. Additionally, the fast food chain has invested up to $75 million in scholarships, programs and grants, and plans to add more than 50,000 new jobs by 2022. Approximately 25% of these new jobs will go to teens.
  • Walgreens: By implementing shadow, internship and employment opportunities for youth across the U.S., the retailer has provided more than 100,000 hours of training and mentorship each year. Walgreens also donates more than $1 million to U.S. pharmacy schools, and has focused on formalizing programs designed to hire people in underserved employment areas.
  • Walmart: In February 2015, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation unveiled the Retail Opportunity Initiative. With the program, Walmart has committed to investing $100 million over the next five years to create meaningful employment opportunities across the retail industry. In addition to supporting the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, Walmart will invest in a series of philanthropic initiatives, including: Career path mapping, pre-employment training, placement programs, and credentialing. 

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