For seven years now, TotalEnergies Foundation has been working with associations to help refugees enter the French job market. In 2021, more than 750 people with refugee status (or subsidiary protection) were supported in nine of TotalEnergies’ host regions in France1. This commitment reflects the Company’s international dimension and its strong belief in diversity and inclusion.
Refugees often find it hard to find employment due to the language barrier, cultural differences, difficulties having their skill recognized, a lack of connections and many other factors. TotalEnergies Foundation offers financial support to associations in France that help them overcome these barriers and enter the job market.
Kodiko, for example, pairs refugees with workers as part of a mentoring program, enabling beneficiaries to learn about workplace practices, start building a professional network and demonstrate the value of their experience. In partnership with Le Monde en Têtes, Kodiko also holds writing workshops led by professional writers at the Institut du Monde Arabe cultural center, where refugees can develop their written and spoken language skills in new ways by creating narratives on different themes.
Action Emploi Réfugiés works to improve access to employment and vocational training by putting refugees in contact with businesses and training providers. TotalEnergies Foundation supports its SOCLE program in Paris and Bordeaux. The program provides refugees with the tools they need to look for work independently, through individual meetings and group workshops. TotalEnergies Foundation also contributes to upgrading the association’s digital tools.
Each One, through its Tremplin program, helps refugees acclimatize to university life. With individual guidance from student volunteers and business mentors, refugees complete group French- and English-language courses and several other workshops. This enables them to meet new people, familiarize themselves with a new lifestyle and develop their career plans. TotalEnergies Foundation participates in this program, which is deployed in six regions2.
In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region, AJIR supports young adult migrants leaving the child welfare system with its Aux Portes de l’Autonomie program, which promotes inclusion through apprenticeships in vocational professions. TotalEnergies Foundation subsidizes the cost of this program for 15 young people each year.
Lastly, as part of the Action! Public interest projects volunteering program, 151 TotalEnergies employees have volunteered to work with associations to support refugees since 2019.
1 Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France, Grand Est, Centre-Val de Loire, Pays de la Loire, Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
2 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bretagne, Ile-de-France, Normandie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
