Connect - Schneider Electric
Connect - Schneider Electric
Connect - Schneider Electric
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2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, A RESPONSIBLE CORPORATE CITIZEN<br />
88<br />
• every year, APC by <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> implements a program<br />
called Community Impact which gathers employees from<br />
the head offi ce and others to support local associations with<br />
community service (donating or recycling computer equipment,<br />
assisting handicapped people, etc.).<br />
Wherever it operates, <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> makes a strong<br />
commitment to community partners and civil society through<br />
positioning itself in a way that is indispensable for a global enterprise<br />
that wants to keep in touch with the labour markets local to its<br />
industrial facilities. Numerous projects under way and on the<br />
drawing board demonstrate <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong>’s desire to be<br />
engaged, notably in the area of employment, and to contribute fully<br />
to local economic development.<br />
Business creation in France – Support for<br />
business creation with <strong>Schneider</strong> Initiatives<br />
Emploi (SIE)<br />
Approach and action plans<br />
For more than 15 years, <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> has supported employee<br />
projects in France to create businesses or buy going concerns<br />
through <strong>Schneider</strong> Initiatives Emploi (SIE), a dedicated structure<br />
demonstrating the Group’s commitment to its mobility, employment<br />
and regional economic development responsibilities.<br />
SIE also illustrates <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong>’s efforts to encourage the<br />
development of entrepreneurial values within its units.<br />
The association provides confi dential support for <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong><br />
employees during all stages of business creation, as well as<br />
afterwards, with a follow-up period of three years.<br />
SIE’s dedicated team of seasoned managers is responsible for<br />
reviewing the fi nancial, legal, technical and commercial aspects of<br />
business creation projects to ensure they are viable and sustainable.<br />
Specifi c support is offered for energy-related projects, which can<br />
benefi t in particular from the support of the Sales and Marketing<br />
Department. These accounted for more than 20% of all supported<br />
projects in 2011. The support of the Sales Department is also<br />
provided to electrical designers from EDF.<br />
The SIE structure is represented directly or indirectly in local business<br />
networks. To enhance the quality of services offered, it has teamed<br />
up with various local associations involved in job and business<br />
creation such as the EGEE, ECTI, Management Boutiques, ALIZE,<br />
local Undertake networks and other local associations.<br />
More than 1,000 project sponsors were supported, including<br />
electrician, baker, consultant, graphic designer, asset manager,<br />
fl orist, etc.<br />
REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2011 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC<br />
These initiatives are consolidated at the level of the <strong>Schneider</strong><br />
<strong>Electric</strong> Foundation and are taken into account in the different<br />
reports and indicators.<br />
5.3 Territorial positioning and impact on economic and social development<br />
Examples<br />
On 16 November 2011 at the fourth <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> “Vivez<br />
l’aventure !” (Live the Adventure) competition, four young heads<br />
of companies received an award to recognise and highlight their<br />
initiative. An award of the 1,000th project was celebrated during<br />
this competition.<br />
Didier Doucet, the 1,000th project designer, said: “My business<br />
plan, produced with helpful advice from SIE, was judged to be<br />
very relevant by other bodies including banks and Management<br />
Boutiques”.<br />
• 85%: the success rate after three years for the projects SIE<br />
supports;<br />
• 2,200 jobs created: each business created or taken over<br />
generates two jobs on average.<br />
Economic development of territories<br />
Many actions are undertaken to contribute to local economic<br />
development, for example:<br />
• specifi c missions within the fabric of the local SMEs (small and<br />
medium enterprises) carried out by <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> senior<br />
experts;<br />
• support for organisations that open the way to creation of<br />
activities and companies;<br />
• fi nancial aid for learning within the energy sector.<br />
Other organisations such as ADIE (Association for the Right to<br />
Economic Initiative) are also fi nancially supported through guarantee<br />
funds, loans, or particular subsidies for electrical project creators.<br />
The electrical project creators can also access support for expansion<br />
from the <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> Sales Department.<br />
Revitalisation of local labour markets in France<br />
The pilot SIE structure was used to implement the revitalisation<br />
actions put into place during restructuring of certain industrial areas.<br />
The involvement of the teams in local economic networks optimises<br />
the allocation of resources where they are needed most under these<br />
agreements defi ned in the GPEC, the employment safeguarding<br />
plans (PSE) or the future industrial restructuring plans.<br />
Nine local labour markets were involved in 2011. These actions<br />
result in support for employment, implementation of the Group’s<br />
involvement policy, SME development aid, support for the energy<br />
sector, learning and other actions desired by the local economic<br />
and political authorities.