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Press Release

Adecco Group North America Pledges 10,000 Work-Based Learning Opportunities by 2020

Company Aims to Shrink the U.S. Skills Gap and Prepare for the Future of Work

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Oct. 6, 2016 – During the International Apprenticeships Meeting in Washington, D.C., today, Alain Dehaze, Chair of the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) and CEO of the Adecco Group, the world’s leading provider of HR solutions, announced Adecco Group North America pledges to facilitate 10,000 work-based learning opportunities in the U.S. by 2020, with an emphasis on apprenticeships. To carry out this commitment, Adecco Group North America will partner with key organizations and businesses that share its goal of shrinking the skills gap and preparing for the future of work.

According to the company’s “Definitive Guide to Building a Better Workforce,” 80 percent of employers believe the U.S. skills gap is real, and 53 percent feel that shortages in the required skills available in the labor pool are the biggest HR challenge today. Work-based learning is a way to teach in-demand skills and increase American’s employability through “real-life” work experience, as a part of programs, like apprenticeships, internships and co-ops. Adecco Group North America especially sees potential to increase apprenticeships in the U.S., as they have been successful in Europe for decades, especially in Switzerland, where the Adecco Group global headquarters is based.

“The U.S. has long been aware that demographic shifts and technological advancements would shake up our workforce, and now, employers are feeling the impact of an increasingly tight labor market,” said Bob Crouch, CEO of Adecco Group North America. “Adecco Group North America has seen firsthand how work-based learning can be a solution to current and future workforce needs.”

Adecco Group North America’s largest brand, Adecco Staffing USA, implements a successful work-based learning model in Kentucky, called the Youth Employment Solutions (YES!) Program, where it partners with the Kentucky Department of Education and area businesses to build up the state’s talent pool. In its second year, 96 percent of students who have completed the YES! Program have gone on to continue their education, extend their time in the program or accept a full-time job offer.

“The statistics backing up the YES! Program are powerful on their own, but it’s the success stories and feedback we hear that really bring this program to life,” said Joyce Russell, president of Adecco Staffing USA. “We hope to see more states and

organizations fall in line with the numerous partners in Kentucky who have made YES! a success.”

“What’s being done in Kentucky is a great example of how we can come together to facilitate work-based learning,” added Crouch. “As we set out to add 10,000 new opportunities to the U.S. workforce, Adecco Group North America looks forward to uniting with strong partners to equip America with the right skills.”

For more information on Adecco Group North America, visit www.adeccogroupna.com, or to learn more about Adecco Staffing USA’s YES! Program, visit www.facebook.com/adecco.yes/info.

About Adecco Group North America

Every day we provide our clients with the talent they need, and help solve the business challenges they face today – and will encounter tomorrow. Our clients rely on us for a wide range of workforce solutions including:

  • Contingent staffing and direct hire recruitment for large enterprise organizations across all skill sets
  • Workforce solutions and consulting including Managed Services Programs (MSP) & Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
  • Career transition and leadership consulting
  • Specialty staffing, project solutions and consulting services

About Adecco Staffing USA

Adecco Staffing USA is the nation’s leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. It is the pre-eminent workforce management partner for Fortune 500 companies and career advisement expert for American workers, serving all of the key industries and professions that drive the US economy forward. Adecco has more than 450 career centers and, on any given day, connects 70,000 talented workers to the best job opportunities across the country, making them one of America’s largest employers. Visit here for more information.

CONTACT
Mary Beth Waddill
Adecco Group North America
marybeth.waddill@adeccona.com