Cellnex workers become 'coaches' to prevent school dropout

Given the high school dropout rates in Spain, Cellnex has decided to promote Youth Challenge, a program that encourages young people at risk of exclusion to continue their studies, highlighting the potential of the telecommunications sector in a company like the Catalan multinational. "It's a great help," explains Andrés, one of the beneficiaries of the program's second edition, who, after participating, will continue his Middle Grade studies in Telecommunications Installations and then go for the Higher Grade, with the goal of working for the company when he finishes.

Motivating and accompanying students like Andrés, teaching them knowledge that can serve them in their future careers, complementing curricular competencies, and bringing them closer to the reality of the telecommunications sector are some of the missions that Cellnex volunteers have during the hours they dedicate to this program, which since its creation in 2019 has benefited more than 600 students. All of this is done through workshops and conferences, as well as meetings between coaches and students, carried out in a virtual format necessitated by the pandemic. When the situation normalizes, the program is expected to be complemented with the possibility of visiting Cellnex facilities and undertaking internships.

Since its creation in 2019, this program has benefited more than 600 students

For Esperanza and Joan, two of Cellnex's volunteers, Youth Challenge allows them to "show motivation" to these young people, teaching them what they do at the company and what they could do if they continue studying. "I would have liked someone to have done it with me back in the day," Joan admits.Both he and Esperanza like to participate in the program to accompany students from whom they learn another way of seeing things, calmer than the daily pace to which work has accustomed them. It also helps them meet other Cellnex colleagues with whom they do not coincide in their daily lives, improving their connection with the company.

The lack of role models and a family and social environment that motivates them to continue their studies are one of the main problems these young people face. For Esperanza, the program allows them to see that "there is someone who wants them to keep studying" and show them where they can be if they do. "It's good to know the companies where you can work when you study," adds Joan.

The lack of role models and a family and social environment that motivates them to continue their studies are one of the main problems these young people face

This is confirmed by the participants in Youth Challenge:97.4% find the support they received usefuland states that thanks to the project, she knows what her next step will be in terms of training and access to the world of work. The volunteers are also satisfied: 87.8% believe they have contributed knowledge of the labor reality to young people and 73.4% feel that their mentoring will help them improve their future.

Who it is for

Youth Challenge is aimed at students from public Vocational Training institutes, in the Electricity and Electronics family, who are at risk of early school leaving in the cities of Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome. Specifically, it targets those who are studying the training and insertion program (PFI); Basic Vocational Training and Intermediate and Higher Vocational Training in Telecommunications. In the near future, Cellnex expects to reach other European countries.

The program started in October 2019 at the La Mercè Institute in the La Marina neighborhood of Barcelona. This academic year, it has expanded to the Escola de Treball, also in Barcelona; the José Ramón Otero Institute in Madrid, and the Istituto Tecnico Industriale Statale Galileo Galilei in Rome.

It is aimed at students from public Vocational Training institutes, in the Electricity and Electronics family, who are at risk of early school leaving

During these two editions, some 200 Cellnex volunteers have participated in the program, offering some seventy activities, which, in the first edition, were reduced by the pandemic and had to adapt to the new context, and, in the second, have already fully adapted to the virtual format. All this adds up to a total of 4,329 hours of training received by students thanks to Youth Challenge.

To develop this program, Cellnex has promoted alliances with expert entities in education and employability, such as the United Way Foundation, expert in the implementation of social projects and volunteering; the Exit Foundation, for the implementation of coaching and mentoring activities for young people, and with the collaboration of the four vocational training institutes where it has been developed.

Alarming figures

When Cellnex launched this social and volunteering project in 2019, the school dropout rate stood at 17.9% in Spain, compared to 10.5% in European countries. A year later, school dropout has been reduced to 16.0% in Spain, but it is still well above the European average.

This is not the only alarming figure that has led Cellnex to promote this program. Spain is also a leader in youth unemployment in Europe. In 2019, the unemployment figure among young people stood at 32.6% compared to the European average of 14.9%. As of March 2021, the country remains at the highest level, with 37.7%. This rate also remains too high in the second country where Cellnex has promoted the project, in Italy, with 33%. After the COVID crisis, short-term prospects are not very promising.

In 2019, the unemployment figure among young Spaniards stood at 32.6% compared to the European average of 14.9%

Cellnex is convinced that the solution to this problem lies in the collaboration between companies and the educational sector, as well as the alliance with entities specialized in education, training, and employability. That is why the multinational is committed to investing economic and human resources to reverse these figures with initiatives such as Youth Challenge, especially focusing on a sector like telecommunications, clearly booming and with a growing demand for specialist technicians.

"This project is one of the fundamental pillars on which the future Cellnex Foundation will be based," explain the company, adding that "both the company and the employees have committed to investing economic and human resources to reverse these figures, convinced that the solution lies in company-education sector collaboration and the alliance with entities specialized in education, training, and employability."

The establishment of the Cellnex Foundation will contribute to developing a more connected and socially responsible environment, and will represent a new dynamic tool at the service of society. Thanks to this, the company will continue to promote the inclusion of people in an increasingly connected and technological environment, with the aim that no one is left behind, adhering to a principle of social equity and digital inclusion.

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