Fundación Exit and around twenty major companies in Barcelona join forces to reduce school dropout among vulnerable youth in the city
Fundación Exit and Board 2030 have launched this academic year a strategic collaboration aimed at reducing early school leaving among young people in social vulnerability, promoting their continued education, and improving their future employability through direct mentoring by professionals from the business sector. Board 2030 is an ecosystem of around 20 committed major companies whose goal is to make Barcelona a fairer, more sustainable, and inclusive city, promoted within the framework of Barcelona+B.
A partnership with social impact in Barcelona
This joint initiative, the first led by Board 2030, takes place in the metropolitan area of Barcelona and involves mentoring 20 classes of Vocational Training and Insertion Programs (PFI), benefiting a total of 272 young people who receive support, guidance, and mentoring from volunteers from Board 2030 companies.
In this context, the companies participating in the alliance work with Fundación Exit, joining efforts to address one of the city’s main social challenges: early school leaving.
The companies that are part of Board 2030 and participate in Fundación Exit’s program are: B Lab Spain, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, EADA, Ferrer, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ImpactCo, Medichem, Quadpack, Reig Jofré, Tram, Uriach, Volkswagen Group España Distribución.
Fundación Exit’s Orientation Program: connecting talent and opportunities
The activities are framed within Fundación Exit’s Orientation Program, a model focused on linking each young person’s individual skills with the concrete needs of their environment and the labor market.
The program emphasizes self-awareness and motivation, helping young people identify their interests, talents, and skills while connecting them to the professional world so they can explore and experience different careers, make informed decisions, and visualize a possible educational and professional future.
Through this mentoring, Fundación Exit seeks to optimize educational performance, enhance personal skills, and create more real opportunities for labor market insertion.
Activities and corporate participation
The program runs throughout the academic year. During the first term (October–December), five classes started participating, with mentoring from volunteers from Ferrer, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Volkswagen Group España Distribución, Uriach, and EADA. Activities in this phase focused on self-awareness and exploring the labor market, such as self-assessment tests and the Coach Project.
In the second term (January–March), the program expands to 15 more classes, involving professionals from Ferrer, ImpactCo —who brings in Zurich, Laie, Donte Group, Clínica Baviera—, Tram, Uriach, CBRE, Quadpack, Medichem, Reig Jofré, Cushman & Wakefield, and EADA. During this period, activities such as the Coach Project, Reverse Speed Dating, “Vídeos Explora”, preparatory webinars for internships, and the Inspiratalk “Decision-Making” will be carried out, reinforcing students’ connection to the labor market and their decision-making about their educational and professional future.
The corporate volunteers mentor the students by sharing professional experience and offering real-life role models.
A shared commitment to the future of Barcelona
From Fundación Exit, the value of this alliance is highlighted: “The Orientation Program is key for young people to regain confidence in their abilities and find meaning in their educational path. Collaboration with Board 2030 companies allows us to bring the professional world into classrooms and generate real opportunities in Barcelona.”
For its part, Board 2030 states: “In a context where the private sector represents up to 80% of the global GDP and 90% of global employment, companies have a moral obligation to fight for a fairer and more equitable world. With this initiative, we are joining efforts to change the reality of our young people, convinced that supporting them to continue their studies is an essential pillar for building a better future.”
With this alliance, Fundación Exit and Board 2030 consolidate a collaboration model between social entities and the business sector that leverages young talent as a driver of social transformation and a better future for Barcelona.
