On February 13, Colegio Mano Amiga Chalco hosted Ivonne Madrid, Alsea's Director of Sustainability, and Alicia Vermaele, Starbucks' Global Director of Social Impact, an American; who have been allies, benefactors, and friends of the Mano Amiga schools for over 10 years.
The reason for the visit was to experience firsthand the social impact that the «Integra» program has had on high school students from the schools, by recruiting, granting scholarships to, and training the best Mano Amiga talents for the employability of the brands that are part of this important business group in Mexico.
Integra seeks to develop key values, skills, and competencies in young people to foster their professional growth. To this end, young people are called «apprentices» and assigned under the tutelage of the company's senior management, who will act as «integrators,» instructing and guiding them through a growth plan during each stage of the program. Integrators and the departments from which young people will learn are assigned and rotated depending on their field of study and career development preferences.
The goal is to support outstanding young people with limited resources who attend partner foundation schools, so they can pursue a well-rounded college education, gain experience, and receive job training through 100% scholarships at top-tier private universities and the «Alsea Integra» talent development program.
With this, it provides educational and employability opportunities for talented young people in vulnerable situations and develops in them work skills that position them in a highly competitive place to become valuable talent committed to Alsea's future, generating a high economic and social impact in the country.
Alsea currently has 20 young men and women on its staff and as scholarship recipients at the country’s most prestigious universities (with scholarships covering up to 100%), whom it has recruited over three generations from Mano Amiga schools, primarily in Chalco.
Alicia Vermaele and Ivonne Madrid reaffirmed the brand's long-term commitment to Mano Amiga and envisioned new collaborative projects for the benefit of underprivileged boys and girls, recognizing that the educational model of the schools produces excellent students, but above all, great human beings for the world.
