Employability programme in France

26 April 2021, Paris, France – Standard Chartered Bank has launched Enactus’ Youth Programme, “Skills accelerator for positive impact”, in France, a community programme designed to support 2,000 disadvantaged students impacted by the economic and social fall-out of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Delivered by NGO Enactus[1], the programme aims to deliver experiential learning to disadvantaged young people to develop idea generation, project management, presentation skills, communication and finance management skills.

300 university students and 1700 secondary school students from four French regions will be mentored and supported to create and implement social entrepreneurial projects. Secondary school children aged 15-18 engaged in vocational or general paths and Higher education students aged 18-25 will take part in employability, entrepreneurial and digital skills programmes which supports them to learn about social challenges and implement projects that positively impact their communities. In addition to this, Higher Education students will also receive market-relevant entrepreneurial skills training, ideation, mentorship and business model creation to enhance competencies to develop and accelerate start-ups and create employment opportunities.

The programme is supported by volunteer employees, fully trained by Enactus, from Standard Chartered’s team based in Paris. The programme will help young people access opportunities to learn and earn straight away. This programme comes at a crucial time in France when job losses are high in younger and lower-income groups; [I will request this from Enactus]

Caroline Eber-Ittel, CEO France & Head of Global Banking France & Southern Europe, at Standard Chartered Bank commented:

“We are incredibly proud to launch the Youth Employability Programme with Enactus France and support young people in our local communities who are some of the hardest hit by the economic and social impact of COVID-19.

“We have a real opportunity to inspire, encourage and share our knowledge and expertise with these students to help equip them with skills for the future and to thrive.”

Mélanie Sueur Sy, CEO, at Enactus France, said: “Enactus works hand in hand with economic and education communities for and with younger generations, to help reveal their dreams, develop their resilience and soft skills to get job-ready and become part of the building of a more inclusive and sustainable world.

“We are thrilled to rely on the human and financial engagement of the Standard Chartered Bank Foundation and the bank employees to stand with the youth and support 2000 vulnerable students this year.”

This announcement is another example of the Bank’s ‘here for good’ brand promise and commitment to supporting its communities as the coronavirus pandemic continues. In 2020, Standard Chartered in France donated USD100,000 to Fondation de France to help healthcare workers to finance research projects and support local social professionals and charities working with the most vulnerable. A further USD50,000 was donated to Institut Pasteur, to support research and public health initiatives related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, 780 masks were donated to the Marie Curie Hospital.

The Youth Employability Programme is part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, our global[2] initiative to tackle economic inequality. It is funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, the lead delivery partner for Futuremakers.

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For further information please contact:

Lauren Verner

Head of Communications, Europe

Standard Chartered

Tel: +44 (0)207 885 7479

Email: lauren.verner@sc.com

Salomé Brunet

Communications Manager, France

Enactus France

Tel: +33 (0)7 66 85 74 58

Email: sbrunet@enactus.fr

Note to Editors

Enactus

Enactus France is a not-for-profit organization operating in the fields of education & social innovation, listed as part of the Top50 Impact entrepreneurship[3] in the country. Enactus aims to build people’s skills and capacity to make a positive impact on society and the environment. Enactus France has supported over 14 000 young people (aged 16-25) to take action for others, and in turn, become entrepreneurs of their own lives and changemakers in their communities.

Established in 2002 in France, Enactus is a registered “Association loi 1901” and a member of the Enactus Worldwide network, active in 36 countries.

Standard Chartered Foundation

The Standard Chartered Foundation (SCF) is a charitable organisation that tackles inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people, particularly girls and people with visual impairments, through programmes focused on education, employability, entrepreneurship and eye health.

Established in 2019, SCF is a registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1184946) and is the lead delivery partner for Futuremakers by Standard Chartered. Read more at www.sc.com/scfoundation.

Standard Chartered

We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 59 of the world’s most dynamic markets and serving clients in a further 85. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.

For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

[1] See Note to Editor

[2] https://www.sc.com/en/sustainability/investing-in-communities/futuremakers/

[3] https://www.carenews.com/publications/top-50-de-l-entrepreneuriat-a-impact-premiere-edition