Bridge to Employment has helped 4 500 young people worldwide to build a bright future. Over a three-year period, upper secondary school students acquaint themselves with studies at university level and opportunities for jobs in areas such as health, science, engineering, production and design. In 2019, Bridge to Employment will be launched in Scandinavia through a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson, Lund University and the Olympia School.

The health and pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson started Bridge to Employment in the USA almost 25 years ago to strengthen the connection between the classroom and the world outside. Pupils at upper secondary schools are to be inspired to go on to higher education and prepare for their future working life.

Bridge to Employment has expanded to many parts of the world and there are currently 17 active projects. In addition to Helsingborg, two other new projects will start in 2019 – in Limerick, Ireland, and Athens, USA.

Many of Johnson & Johnson’s 650 staff members in the city will work as volunteers to give the pupils at the Olympia School the opportunity to acquaint themselves with different future jobs. At the same time, the staff members get the chance to find out about the upper secondary school pupils’ everyday life and dreams for the future.

About 40 upper secondary school pupils in the Science stream at the Olympia School will be recruited to Bridge to Employment at the start of the 2019 autumn semester. Participation in the project is voluntary and the activities will be held both within and outside the school timetable.