L’Oréal Launches New Youth Employment Program
PARIS — L’Oréal is launching a global program called L’Oréal Boost that is aimed at supporting young people’s employment.
The initiative comes a year after the world’s largest beauty company introduced its L’Oréal for Youth program, and at the same time as the U.S. division, L’Oréal USA, plans a new research and innovation center.
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Forty-six percent of Gen Zers are waiting for companies to help them develop their skills, and only 39 percent say they feel prepared for the future, L’Oréal said in a statement, citing figures from The Boson Project and Universum, respectively.
L’Oréal said the Boost project will give 20,000 students a year access to on-demand digital courses from Coursera, an online learning provider for students and employees focused on developing young people’s employability in the early stages of their careers.
“In doing so, L’Oréal Boost will open the doors to vital education that bridges the gap between school and work, giving young people from underrepresented backgrounds access to certifications from the world’s most prestigious universities,” the company said.
Additionally, 100,000 people are to be offered guided digital projects through companies’ digital tools and software.
“Investing in young people is our responsibility and is a very strong part of our culture at L’Oréal,” said Jean-Claude Le Grand, L’Oréal chief human relations officer. “We have never stopped betting on youth to ensure they are the future of the company. These are challenging times for the younger generation. Therefore, we must be even more engaged as a company.
“The last two years have impacted youth in their education path, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds,” he continued. “More than ever, our responsibility is to support youth so they can build a bright future for tomorrow.”
“Greater access to digital skill development programs provides the [most] equal access to opportunity that today’s job market requires,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, chief executive officer of Coursera.
L’Oréal for Youth was launched in July 2021. It gives work opportunities for young people — especially from underrepresented backgrounds — and takes action to increase their employment potential.
So far, it has created 18,342 work opportunities. The program has enrolled 59,000 people in masterclasses, upskilled 70,000 learners, career-coached 18,000 young people and mentored 13,000 of them, according to the company. L’Oréal said it should offer 25,000 opportunities to people under the age of 30.
