Staff from these companies mentor, guide and motivate young people to continue studying and improve their future employability.

Several students enrolled in this programme visited the facilities of Aguas de Alicante this morning.

Hidraqua and Aguas de Alicante have started working together on the Exit Foundation Coach Project, a company volunteer initiative whose aim is to improve the employability of young people through techniques such as coaching and mentoring.

This is a project with a high impact on young people and company volunteers, who guide and motivate the youths to continue their studies.

This morning, some of the students taking part in this programme in Alicante visited the Aguas de Alicante facilities to get a first-hand look at the company’s work. Francisco Bartual, CEO of Aguas de Alicante and Hidraqua, welcomed the students, who were then accompanied by some of the volunteers from the companies taking part in the programme and by the Hidraqua and Aguas de Alicante Sustainable Development and Equality Manager, Amelia Navarro.

During the reception, Bartual highlighted the importance of training, both before entering the labour market and throughout professional life: ‘In companies we must be capable of communicating our social responsibility policies to all staff and getting them involved. To do this, we will continue promoting corporate voluntary actions linked to our work, our values as an organisation and our commitment to the society in which we operate’.

Through this social initiative, Hidraqua and Aguas de Alicante have joined forces with schools and social entities to reduce the high drop-out rates.

The Coach Project is a corporate volunteering initiative targeting socially responsible companies that wish to make it easier for young people in situations of vulnerability to enter the workforce by guiding and motivating them to continue studying and improve their chances of finding employment. After completing the project, on average, 82% of the young people pass the course, 75% continue studying after the course and 88% improve their self-esteem.

The Exit Foundation trains volunteers in coaching and mentoring techniques to accompany the young people participating in the process during an occupational tour of the company. The corporate volunteers learn techniques that they will be able to use in their daily work while they assist in the participants' training. After this first contact with the work world, young people find their vocation and understand the importance of education for gaining entry to the job market.

The participants are aged between 16 and 19 and are referred by different social and educational organisations and secondary schools, after having dropped out of school. They are supported by socially responsible companies that wish to involve their staff in solidarity actions.