NEW YORK, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MDC Partners Inc. (NASDAQ: MDCA; TSX: MDZ.A) has made a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action at the 2014 CGI America Meeting, which was announced by Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.  In partnership with Year Up, MDC Partners has committed to creating twenty-five, 6-month paid internships from 2014-2015 at MDC's corporate office and Agency partners in New York and Miami. MDC's Commitment to "Bridging the Opportunity Divide for Youth" will provide a bridge to employment for young people with limited access to the workforce.

"At MDC Partners we believe that great talent fuels innovation and drives success," said Miles Nadal, Chairman and CEO of MDC Partners. "By partnering with Year Up, and formalizing our Commitment with Clinton Global Initiative, we will empower young people with the means and opportunity to elevate themselves and achieve their full potential.  In doing so, we aim to inspire the next generation of leaders, while helping to improve families, communities and our entire workforce."

Through this 12-month pilot program, Year Up will train and support participants to develop skills in professional services including Information Technology, Financial Operations, Quality Assurance and Project Management. Participants will then be placed in internships throughout the MDC Partners Network of Agencies that will offer practical work experience and prepare them for successful careers in business.

"With about 6 million talented and motivated young people out of school and out of work across America, it has never been more important for companies to invest in Opportunity Youth and ensure they gain the skills, experience and tools to launch meaningful careers and meet employers' talent needs," said Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year Up. "This commitment from MDC Partners will provide Year Up students with a pathway to long-term personal and professional success, benefitting these young adults as well as the organizations that hire them."

Secretary Clinton is prioritizing youth employment as one of the key issues for her work at the Clinton Foundation, and believes that business-led initiatives will play a critical role in addressing this important economic challenge.  The Clinton Foundation is working closely with businesses and leading nonprofits, economists, and advocates across the country to identify and scale effective ways for companies to address their core business needs through engaging our nation's opportunity youth. At the 2014 CGI America meeting, Secretary Clinton announced Job One, a major set of commitments - including MDC Partners' - focused on improving job pathways for youth in the United States. To facilitate the sharing of best practices, and encourage more companies to adopt youth employment activities, Secretary Clinton also announced at the 2014 CGI America meeting that CGI will be creating a U.S. Youth Employment Action Network to help CGI members continue to work on this important issue over the year ahead.

About MDC Partners Inc.
MDC Partners is one of the world's largest Business Transformation Organizations that utilizes technology, marketing communications, data analytics, insights and strategic consulting solutions to drive meaningful returns on Marketing and Communications Investments for multinational clients in the United States, Canada, and worldwide. 

MDC Partners' durable competitive advantage is to Empower the Most Talented Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders to Drive Business Success to new levels of Achievement, for both our Clients and our Shareholders, reinforcing MDC Partners' reputation as "The Place Where Great Talent Lives."

MDC Partners' Class A shares are publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "MDCA" and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDZ.A".

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About Year Up Inc.
Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education.  Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits.  Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency.  Year Up currently serves more than 2000 students a year at sites in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, San Francisco Bay Area, the National Capital Region and Puget Sound (Seattle).  To learn more, visit www.yearup.org or www.youtube.com/yearupinc.

About the Clinton Global Initiative America
The Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America), a program of the Clinton Global Initiative, addresses economic recovery in the United States. Established in June 2011 by President Bill Clinton, CGI America brings together leaders in business, government, and civil society to generate and implement commitments to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and support workforce development in the United States. Since its first meeting, CGI America participants have made over 300 commitments valued at more than $15 billion when fully funded and implemented. To learn more, visit cgiamerica.org.

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders year-round and at its Annual Meeting to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI also convenes CGI University, which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their communities and around the world. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 2,800 Commitments to Action, which are already improving the lives of more than 430 million people in over 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $103 billion. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

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SOURCE MDC Partners Inc.