Kesko and K-stores active in Youth Guarantee initiative

KESKO CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 08.02.2013 AT 15.00 1(1)

Kesko and K-stores will take active part in the social guarantee for young people initiative, with a view to promoting employment and preventing social exclusion among young people. There are around 1,300 K-stores in Finland, and the objective is to employ as many young people at risk of marginalisation as possible.

"Kesko and K-retailers will participate in this important initiative with enthusiasm and an active attitude. The K-Group is one of the biggest employers in Finland, retail store jobs are very suitable for young people and a K-store is the first place of work for many of them. The initiative is also extremely suitable for our responsibility programme. We take an open-minded approach when looking for new means to pave the way of young people to employment," says President and CEO Matti Halmesmäki.

Kesko will implement the initiative in cooperation with the authorities and the K-Retailers' Association and other organisations. A tailored programme will be built for the K-Group to employ young people in K-stores and Kesko. Kesko's Board of Directors granted 100,000 euros for the start up of the programme.

The youth guarantee, which entered into force at the beginning of 2013, guarantees that each person under 25 years of age, and recent graduates under 30 years of age, will be offered work, a work trial, or a study, workshop or labour market rehabilitation place within three months of registering as an unemployed jobseeker. The youth guarantee also includes an educational guarantee, which guarantees a study place for each young person finishing basic education.

Kesko and K-retailers form the K-Group, whose retail sales totalled €12 billion in 2012. The K-Group employs around 45,000 people.

Further information:
Matti Mettälä, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Stakeholder Relations, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 10 53 22200
Merja Haverinen, Vice President, Communications, Kesko Corporation, tel. +358 10 53 22764

Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. We are a retail specialist whose chains have about 2,000 stores in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, and Belarus. Our stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers.