Nestle Purina PetCare Company Increases Apprenticeship & Internship Opportunities with Project Opportunity

ST. LOUIS, July 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Nestlé in the United States and Nestlé Purina PetCare Company launched Project Opportunity, a new career acceleration initiative to help people of all ages gain work experience and strengthen their professional development skills.  At the core of Project Opportunity is its commitment to train a new group of highly skilled workers through apprenticeships.

Specifically at Nestlé Purina, Project Opportunity will focus on four key areas:

• Increase the number of participants in Nestlé Purina's Maintenance, IS, and Controls (MIC) Training program, a development program consisting of technical training for maintenance and electrical technicians, from 41 participants to about 200 by the end of 2016.
• Increase the number of participants in Nestlé Purina's factory apprenticeship program, which allows students to apply what they've learned at local community colleges, master new skills and build new competencies in Nestlé Purina's factories. Currently, Nestlé Purina has an apprenticeship program with Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and the company is looking to expand the program to other locations in the U.S.
• Continue to increase the number of college intern and trainee positions available in departments such as Engineering, Operations, Production, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Supply Chain, Human Resources and Information Systems. Nestlé Purina is already taking applications for 2016 summer opportunities.
• Further enhance coaching and mentoring of students in our Headquarters community of St. Louis through Purina's teen employment program, which provides leadership and employment opportunities in the pet field to underserved teens each summer.

"We believe we have a unique opportunity, and responsibility, to play an active part in the communities where we live and work," said Steve Degnan, chief human resources officer for Nestlé Purina PetCare North America.  "Our apprenticeship and internship programs are designed so that individuals in the local community are better prepared for the workplace, while simultaneously developing the specific skills we need at Nestlé Purina."

Nestlé announced Project Opportunity in conjunction with Swiss Vice President Johann Schneider Amman's signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent with the U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce and Education in Washington, D.C. The Declaration includes U.S.-Swiss cooperation, promoting vocational and professional education and training, career and technical education, and apprenticeships. The pledge builds off the Obama administration's emphasis on apprenticeship training, including its plans to double the number of apprentices within the next five years through a $100 million program.

Project Opportunity is part of Nestlé's broader efforts to develop talent for the company and help tackle the global unemployment crisis. Nestlé recently joined the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN), a coalition of companies, employers' federations and associations that addresses the global unemployment crisis and the need for business to ensure skills for the future.

To learn more or apply for position at Nestlé Purina, please visit www.nestlepurinacareers.com. Learn more about all aspects of Nestlé in the United States' Project Opportunity  in the "Nestlé Announces New Career Acceleration Program in the U.S." press release.

About Nestlé Purina PetCare

Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.

Please visit the Nestlé Purina News Center at http://newscenter.purina.com/ for the latest Purina news, press releases, statements, and Purina media contacts. 

SOURCE Nestle Purina PetCare

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