APC 2002 Annual Report Download - page 51

Business review
50
Train tomorrow’s employees
In China, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, etc.
Many young people want to continue their studies, but lack
the means to do so. In a dozen or so countries, Schneider
Electric sites have decided to offer scholarships. In China,
for example, one hundred students are helped during their last
year of university. In Argentina, where the drastic crisis has
reduced budgets, equipment donations were used in 2002 to
outfit electricity labs in 13 vocational schools. In Saudi Arabia,
the subsidiary opened a training center in the Riyadh plant.
35 young technical university graduates started a one-year
program with the promise of a job for all those who
successfully complete the course.
In South Africa
The company is committed to combat employee illiteracy.
Some manufacturing plants offer English courses to workers.
In South Africa, where 30% of the people over 20 years of age
are illiterate, 26 of the subsidiary’s 70 workers have returned
to school in the company at the rate of two classes per week
to learn to read, write, count and communicate in English.
A few examples of our accomplishments in 2002
In France
d. The community challenge: integration into local
communities, social integration, education
NEW2004 objective: Ensure that 80% of sites have a
sustainable commitment program with the Schneider
Electric Foundation
Schneider Electric has about 400 sites worldwide with more
than 30 employees. The goal is to build a partnership with
local associations working in youth education, training and
social integration in more than 80% of these sites.
Each employee is encouraged to volunteer their time
or to participate financially.
Handicapped worker integration
The 2002 overall rate reached 6.6% vs. an objective of 6% in
spite of the low level of hiring. A downtrend in subcontracting
to French Work Assistance Centers (CATs) and protected
workshops was halted.
Aggressive work-study training policy for young people
2002 was an excellent year with 296 new contracts signed
(25% with qualifications below the high school diploma
–baccalaureate, and 6% handicapped youth), representing
480 work-study trainees working in the company in France.
In Turkey and Argentina
Retain today’s talents
The objective of the Fidelity program is to retain talent when a
country is undergoing a crisis, through inter-country mobility.
In 2001 Turkey was experiencing difficulties. Consequently,
it “loaned” marketing experts for a few months to Russia,
which was experiencing fast-paced growth. In 2002 several
Argentinean managers were sent to Brazil.
Performance
as a %
50%
74%
2001 2004
objective
80%
2002
Increase the number
of for-credit internships
completed each year
●Target
● Number of internships filled
1,000
2001 2002
1,100 1,123
1,000