Starbucks Saudi Arabia hosted the second session of its “Over Coffee” event in Riyadh on Aug. 7 and in Jeddah on Aug. 8 to discuss the progress in its Saudization campaign, which seeks to localize 35 percent of the company’s workforce by 2020. The event is designed to promote engagement and hold useful discussion to encourage Saudi youth to consider working for the service sector as a career option and contribute to the achievement of Saudi Vision 2030. During the sessions, a number of Saudi Starbucks partners discussed their work experiences in the company.
“Over Coffee” is part of Starbucks’s Saudization and social impact agenda, which seeks to address key workforce challenges, reshape public perceptions of youth taking on jobs in the retail and service sector, explain the role of Starbucks employees, and prepare young Saudis for the economy sector and the jobs of the future.
Starbucks stressed at the sessions that it is committed to employing 400 Saudi nationals from both sexes in the upcoming period as part of its support for the Saudization program in line with Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program.
Rana Shaheen, regional communications and CSR manager, Starbucks Middle East, said: “Since its launch in 2017, Starbucks’ Saudization campaign has managed to increase the percentage of Saudi partners in the company from nine percent to 23 percent. By 2020, we aim to localize 35 percent of the workforce and accelerate training of Saudi partners at all levels.”
As part of its support for Vision 2030, the company discussed its partnership with Education for Employment, the leading youth employment organization in the region, noting that under this partnership two workforce entry programs called “Pathway to a Job” and “Opportunity Café” were designed to enlighten and develop Saudi youths and help them fast-track their careers into the service sector.
Starbucks hosts 2nd ‘Over Coffee’ session
Starbucks hosts 2nd ‘Over Coffee’ session
