The chance of a better future
The second generation students of the Broadening Horizons program celebrate their graduation.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts have the power to change lives in the communities where we are present. A clear example of that power is the Broadening Horizons program in Brazil, which just marked another major milestone with the graduation of the students enrolled in its second cycle.
On December 3, 28 young individuals (between the ages of 17 and 22) gathered with their families, mentors, teachers and representatives from LSG Sky Chefs and other Lufthansa Group companies at the Natasha Franco Vieira partner professional school to receive their certificates of completion.
The Broadening Horizons program aims to offer knowledge and career opportunities in the culinary and catering industries to deserving youth living in socially vulnerable communities in the vicinity of Guarulhos (GRU), where the Sao Paulo International Airport and our LSG Sky Chefs facilities are located. The course takes about 100 days and 400 hours during which the students cover both basic-knowledge subjects (math, computer science, entrepreneurship and more) and the specifics of being a Garde Manger and working in a hot kitchen. Out of the total number of students that complete the course, 10 are offered positions at LSG. The top three get the opportunity to travel to Frankfurt and visit the company’s facilities.
“We are very proud to be able to transform the lives of these young people and offer them the opportunity to have a better future,” said Rodrigo Fernandes, General Manager of the LSG Sky Chefs unit in GRU. “We are happy to have various graduates from the first cycle still with us at the GRU facility. They will now be joined by 10 more from this most recent cycle, something that is very gratifying and that demonstrates that this program has a positive and sustained impact on every participant’s life.”
Broadening Horizons is conducted in collaboration with other Lufthansa companies operating in Brazil (Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Systems and the airline itself). In fact, in addition to the coursework, each student is assigned a volunteer mentor from LSG or one of the other Group companies. These mentors guide and encourage the students for the duration of the course. The program is also sponsored by Lufthansa’s help alliance aid organization.