International development charity VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) and the Randstad Group, international specialist in human resources services, have announced a major new partnership. As part of the agreement, Randstad will commit Ä 1 million to help fund VSOís work over the next three years.
More importantly, we will use our influence and network across Europe and North America to help recruit more volunteers and help VSO to raise additional funds.
The extra income and Randstads promotion of VSO to staff, flexworkers and clients will vastly increase the charityís ability to recruit volunteers and place them with local partners in developing countries during the initial three years of the partnership.
VSO and Randstad share a common core activity, working to provide companies and organizations with the right people, who have the right skills, in the right place and time. In particular, Randstadís support will help VSO meet an increased demand for business and management skills in developing countries.
ìThe partnership is excellent news for both VSO and Randstad,î says VSOís Chief Executive Mark Goldring. ìMost importantly, it will bring vital professional support to organizations in some of the worldís poorest countries. Business and IT professionals are already working with VSO on a wide range of projects, from providing help to groups fighting the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Africa to setting up micro-finance projects in villages in Papua New Guinea. Randstadís support will ensure this essential work can continue and grow further.î
Randstadís CEO Ben Noteboom adds: ìRandstadís support of VSO shows that we are not only committed to being a human resources specialist, but that we can also use our core competence to make a tangible difference to the worldís poor. Our ultimate goal of helping VSO to send out many hundreds of additional volunteers will improve conditions for many thousands of people. We are excited by this opportunity to build a relationship and hope that Randstadís employees will be able to work on VSO placements themselves.î
The partnership is to be formally announced today at Forum 2004 in Barcelona. The theme of the forum is sustainability and global corporation. The launch will be attended by His Highness Bernhard jr., Prince of the Netherlands, Randstadís CEO Ben Noteboom, the Mayor of Barcelona Mr. Joan Clos, and VSOís Chief Executive Mark Goldring. The Forum will be open to journalists from all over Europe. Forum 2004 is a major event on Barcelonaís cultural calendar and is staffed by Randstadís own flexworkers.
VSO and Randstad announce partnership to help worlds poorest
Randstad will commit Ä 1 million to help fund VSOís work over the next three years.