Starbucks offers a better future to migrant workers

By the age of 26, Liang Dong had worked on a factory assembly line back home in Jiangxi province, before moving north to Beijing to work first as a security guard, and then as a taxi driver.

But Liang was still unsure about his destiny, until he joined hundreds of other migrant workers at the Beijing Workers Training Center recently, for a careers event in the capital launched by the Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co.

Wang Zhongping, executive director of the Horizon Corporate Volunteer Consultancy, said there are an estimated 60 million young migrant workers across China who need the support of corporations and the community-at-large to find better jobs.

Wang estimated around 62 percent of the young migrant workers end up taking jobs in sales, construction sites or retail, because of a lack of job-seeking channels or work skills.

The Beijing careers event was run by more than 200 Starbucks staff, as well as college student volunteers, with the aim of helping the young migrant participants find more meaningful economic or educational opportunities.

Liang and the others were offered professional job coaching and mentorship, as well as advice on how to stand out at interviews and interact with senior managers.

Now he says he has a real purpose.

"I will work hard and one day I might just have the chance to work as a barista at Starbucks," he said.

More than 5,000 young people are expected to benefit from the Starbucks community project, according to John Culver, group president, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, channel development and emerging brands.

He underlined the company's commitment to using its business scale in China to extend a helping hand to young migrant workers in local communities.

"As Starbucks China has grown to 1,600 stores in nearly 90 cities, and with more than 25,000 partners, so too we have our foundational aspiration of encouraging greater understanding, empathy and compassion toward one another, particularly when it comes to the education of millions of youth migrant workers in China, and their finding gainful employment opportunities."

The training event was part of Starbucks' fifth annual global month of service. In addition, hundreds of walnut trees were planted to mark the occasion.

Belinda Wong, president of Starbucks China, said this year the company aims to focus on engaging and helping youths around the world.

"As we continue to grow in China, we will be creating about 10,000 new jobs every year.

"This will allow us to provide the young people in our midst greater access to gainful employment and meaningful learning and development opportunities."

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn