"Workers were highly engaged, daily performance was visible at every line or process step, and there was obvious pride in work accomplishments at all levels"  - comments from international Nestlé managers on the situation in Brazilian factories.

Daily meetings were conducted by operators and mechanics to review operating results: line and output efficiency, production scheduling and planning, etc. In all plants, associates understood how their area was performing and the operator/mechanic relationship resulted in this group being highly engaged in action and problem solving.

“Better communication and more access to the managers made for a better informed and more satisfied worker. The training and education the company provided raised the abilities and education level of the workers, giving them opportunities never availablein the past. This is one source of their pride in their work and in the company.”

Creating a supportive context for long-term employment also means investment beyond Nestlé employees to strengthen local workforce conditions. In Brazil, for example, unemployment is a critical social problem. Almost 13% of the work force is currently unemployed, with high rates among young people aged 16 to 24 with little education. By 2006, Nestlé will create about 2,000 work positions for low income young people under 24 as part of the First Job program, a federal government initiative to give young people their first opportunity to join the workforce.

In a partnership with GR Food Services, the young people will be trained to work with catering services. After a two-month intensive training program, the trainees will be contracted as staff to join a multinational company in the catering field. As of July 2005, 1,500 young people were trained and 1,299 were already working. In Venezuela, Nestlé developed the Out-of-Home concept, which seeks to reach consumers through new technologies such as vending and distribution machines for convenience stores. This marketing initiative created a new source of employment as 18 new small businesses now service 600 Nescafé vending machines and 2,300 store-based equipment systems. The Nescafé division worked closely with the operators to develop their business plans and marketing skills.

In Argentina, Nestlé is supporting a government program called “Manos a la Obra”, which focuses on helping entrepreneurs increase the scale of their projects. Companies are contributing technical assistance in a number of areas.