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2015 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC102
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, AN ECO-CITIZEN COMPANY
5.3 Territorial positioning and impact on economic and social development
Wherever it operates, Schneider Electric makes a strong
commitment to community partners and civil society through
positioning itself in a way that is indispensable for a global enterprise
that wants to keep in touch with the labor markets of its industrial
locations. Numerous projects under way and on the drawing board
demonstrate Schneider Electric’s desire to be engaged, notably in
the area of employment, and to contribute fully to local economic
development.
Business creation in France
Approach and action plans
For more than 20years, Schneider Electric in France has supported
employee projects to create businesses or business takeovers
through Schneider Initiatives Entrepreneurs (SIE), through a
dedicated structure demonstrating the Group’s commitment to its
local labor markets: promoting actions to support local economic
development, proposing and supporting volunteer employees
in reliable career paths that are external to the Group. It comes
resolutely within the development of a spirit of entrepreneurship.
SIE provides support for Schneider Electric employees at all stages
of business creation, as well as afterwards, with a follow-up period
of three years.
SIE’s dedicated team of seasoned managers is responsible for
reviewing the fi nancial, legal, technical and commercial aspects of
business creation or company purchase projects to ensure they are
viable and sustainable.
More than 1,000project owners have been supported, including
electricians, bakers, consultants, graphic designers, asset
managers, fl orists, etc., creating more than 3,000jobs.
Specifi c support is offered for energy-related projects, which can
benefi t in particular from the support of the Sales and Marketing
Department. These accounted for almost 20% of all supported
projects in 2015. The support of the Sales Department is also
provided to electrical designers from other spin-off structures such
as EDF and ADIE .
The SIE structure is represented directly or indirectly in local
business networks and enhances the quality of services offered
through partnerships with associations such as the EGEE, ECTI,
Boutiques de Gestion, Réseaux Entreprendre, France Initiative and
other local structures.
SIE is very active in the promotion of spin-offs, by chairing the DIESE
Network, an association formed by major groups that support their
employees in project creation or takeovers.
Economic development of territories
The SIE teams manage many actions to contribute to local
economic development, for example:
•specifi c missions within the fabric of the local SMEs (small and
medium industries/enterprises) carried out by Schneider Electric
senior experts or missions in the framework of skills-based
sponsorship (Alizé system);
•membership in and promotion of the Pass Compétences tool,
which allows the posting of experienced managers to long-term
missions with SMEs in the Île-de-France or in the Grenoble labor
market. These experts are invested in structured and strategic
development projects for SMEs;
•support for organizations that open the way to the creation of
activities and companies (Réseau Entreprendre, France Initiative,
etc.).
Other organizations such as ADIE (Association for the Right to
Economic Initiative) are also fi nancially supported through guarantee
funds, loans or particular subsidies for electrical project creators.
Support for associations or NGOs that are
partners with the Access to Energy program
(Pass Associations/NGO mechanism)
SIE supports employees who want a career path external to
the Group within the framework of a Pass Associations/NGO
mechanism. This mechanism allows employees to be positioned on
structured projects in partner associations or NGOs, primarily under
French law: in the same framework as the support for SMIs/SMEs,
the SIE teams, together with the Foundation and the teams of the
Access to Energy program supports the posting of employees for
several months on missions to associations or NGOs. All types of
trades may be involved.
Revitalization of local employment pools
inFrance
The pilot SIE structure was used to implement the revitalization
actions put in place during the industrial development of certain
local labor markets.
The involvement of teams in local economic networks optimizes the
allocation of resources where they are most needed under these
agreements defi ned in the GPEC, the employment safeguarding
plans (PSE) or the future industrial restructuring plans.
Nine local labor markets have been involved since 2011. These
actions result in support for employment, implementation of the
Group’s involvement policy, SME development aid, support for the
energy sector, assistance for learning and other actions desired by
the local economic and political authorities.