This category highlights the range of different themes through which banks do responsible work and this year we look at Citi’s efforts with youth in the region. Youth unemployment is already a serious problem in Asia and the pandemic made it a whole lot worse. Citi’s focus on the issue deserves recognition.
In September 2020, Citi Asia Pacific, under CEO Peter Babej, and the Citi Foundation announced a $35 million commitment in philanthropic investments to help young people in low-income and underserved communities in the region advance their economic opportunities. Alongside the philanthropic commitment, Citi said it would offer 6,000 jobs and 60,000 job skills training opportunities for young people at Citi Asia over the next three years.
In doing so, it was furthering a drive to help young people that is illustrated by the Youth Co:Lab programme that Citi leads alongside the United Nations Development Programme. This programme was scaled to 25 countries and territories in Asia Pacific in 2020.