Accor: a shared goal with Kylian Mbappé

The timing is obviously well chosen. As the football World Cup kicks off this Thursday, and before the team led by Kylian Mbappé makes its debut on June 16th, the Accor group is unveiling a partnership with Inspired By KM, the association founded in 2020 by the captain of the *Bleus*. Its mission: to create a positive social impact model for young people. Talent is everywhere, but too often it needs to be recognised in order to exist., stressed Fayza Lamari, president of Inspired By KM, and also the mother of the global football star. Our role is to help young people regain their self-confidence, change how they view their abilities, and look towards the future. With Accor, we are creating a practical framework that allows them to progress at their own pace and find their place. "

Following the announcement of the partnership between Accor and the player's association in 2024, this relationship is taking a concrete form with the "ibis unlocked" initiative, aimed at NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training). According to the International Labour Organisation, nearly one in five young people worldwide already find themselves in this situation today, while the World Bank foresees a major global challenge with 1.2 billion young people set to reach working age in the coming years.

To contribute their part by offering new perspectives to all these young people who are far from employment, Accor and Inspired By KM have co-designed an ecosystem that combines a digital approach with 15 self-training modules accessible on WhatsApp, human support by facilitating access to professional and certified training thanks to partner NGOs, and practical experience within the hotels of the ibis brands, ranging from hotel visits to internships and career discovery.

This global social mobility initiative will be launched in 2026 in four countries: France, Morocco, Thailand, and the football-loving nation of Brazil, where Inspired By KM and Accor will organise an educational week in the autumn, bringing together industry professionals, beneficiaries and young people. Behind these young people, there are stories, doubts and often a lack of prospects."stated Sébastien Bazin, CEO of Accor." With Inspired By KM, we have developed a concrete programme, rooted in our regions and our professions, to restore confidence and open up pathways to employment. Hospitality can be a powerful lever for transformation.. "

This operational response to inclusion and employability challenges can be rolled out on a large scale. The programme is set to be geographically expanded over the coming years, thanks to the extensive ibis hotel network, one of the largest in the world with over 2,500 hotels in 82 countries. Similarly, it could also gradually be extended to other brands within the French hotel group.

The long-term objective is to improve the employability of 20,000 people furthest from employment by 2030. This ambition is part of Accor's new sustainable development roadmap, called Hosting Change, one of whose pillars is "activating the potential of every talent". A very commendable goal.