Jollibee Foods Corporation and JGF partner with YouthWorks PH to help youth become job-ready.

“Youth unemployment is at 11.2%, even while we experience a high number of vacancies in different industries. But we want to change this by bringing all our strengths together. Our partnership for the YouthWorks PH program is anchored on our shared commitment with JFC to support underprivileged youth to gain access to relevant education and eventually have an opportunity to improve their lives with gainful employment.” ~Gisela Tiongson, JGF President

Partners in full force. Representatives from the Jollibee Foods Corporation and Jollibee Group Foundation, together with the team from Philippine Business Education and the United States Agency for International Development, form a handshake chain after sealing the partnership for the YouthWorks PH project.

In order to increase opportunities for youth employment in the country, the Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) and its social development arm, the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), have collaborated with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to create a training program through its workforce development initiative, YouthWorks PH. 

JGF President Gisela Tiongson and Jollibee Foods Corporation Philippines Chief Human Resources Officer Ruth Angeles, along with representatives from PBEd, USAID, Primary Structures Educational Foundation, Inc. - School of Knowledge for Industrial Labor, and JFC business units, attended the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding for the YouthWorks PH program on June 6.

Training for their future. Through the YouthWorks PH project, those who are considered NEET can soon undergo free senior crew skills training that will equip them with the right competencies and experience to secure a job in the food and beverage sector. 

The program aims to make education and training more responsive to economic needs by collaborating with the government, various industries, and academia to provide opportunities to youth who are not currently in education, employment, or training (NEET).

A Joyful Training

Start of the journey. The classroom training for the pilot batch of the Jollibee Group Foundation and YouthWorks PH Program officially commenced on July 1 in Cebu. The trainees will have two months of classroom training before starting their supervised industry learning in select Jollibee, Chowking, and Greenwich stores.

Those who are considered NEET will soon be able to receive free senior crew skills training through the YouthWorks PH project, providing them with the necessary competencies and experience to secure a job in the food and beverage industry. 

 

JFC will lead the program's pilot batch, which will include 26 NEET youth from Cebu City. In addition to providing work-based training and pre-employment support to participants in select Jollibee, Chowking, and Greenwich stores, JFC and JGF will cover the participants' training costs, allowances, and lodging.

“We are elated to see the pilot batch of 26 out-of-school youth in Cebu City jump-start this opportunity. This project is a testament to what we can achieve when we break down silos and work together. When government, businesses, educators, and communities join forces, we can empower young people, unlock their potential, and build a brighter future for all.” ~Justine Raagas, PBEd Executive Director

Sharing the joyful experience 

 

JFC and JGF launched this initiative as part of their global sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow, which includes a focus on community support.   

“In JFC, we Choose Joy, and part of a joyful experience is being able to create a positive influence on the lives of others. We are looking forward to the successful pilot implementation of this initiative in JFC and hoping to replicate the initiative in other areas to be able to reach more youth.” ~Ruth Angeles, Jollibee Foods Corporation Philippines’ Chief Human Resources Officer 

The partnership followed the Company's successful collaboration with various local governments to provide employment opportunities for senior citizens and people with disabilities, as well as with the Department of Labor and Employment's Special Program for Student Employment (SPES). All of these programs share the common goal of increasing employment opportunities for all Filipinos.

About Jollibee Group 

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. Its mission is to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone through its 18 brands with over 6,900 stores across 33 countries. 

 

The Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); four franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand. JFC also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

 

The Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 92% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. The Jollibee Group has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. The Company also established a joint venture company that will own and operate Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. Recently, the Jollibee Group signed agreements to own 10% ownership in Botrista, a leader in the beverage technology space.  The Company also owns a 90% participating interest in Titan Dining Partners II Ltd to further grow Asia Pacific food service brands and/or bring strong global food service brands to Asia Pacific.

 

The Jollibee Group has launched its global sustainability agenda dubbed Joy for Tomorrow, which aims to strengthen the Company’s commitment to sustainable business practices. The agenda centers on the key pillars of Food, People, and Planet, and consists of 10 focus areas namely: food safety, food quality, nutrition & transparency, employee welfare, farmers livelihood, community support, good governance, packaging & recycling, waste reduction, and energy & water efficiency. Each focus area sets goals and initiatives that contribute and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

 

The Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' Most Admired Company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. The Company is also a three-time recipient of Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award and was recently cited in TIME’s List of the World’s Best Companies and Fortune’s Southeast Asia 500 List.

 

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com