June 28, 2016 – Schneider Electric, the Schneider Electric Foundation and the CIEP—of the French Ministry for National Education, Higher Education and Research—have signed a partnership agreement to “develop synergies between their initiatives in the field of international training”.

The signing ceremony was held on June 8, 2016 in Paris, France and was attended by Luc Rémont, executive vice-president for France at Schneider Electric; Daniel Assouline, director of the CIEP (Centre international d’etudes pedagogiques); and Gilles Vermot-Desroches, general delegate of the Schneider Electric Foundation.

The partnership says its main focus will be energy, renewable energy, energy transition and efficiency, and energy access assistance to developing countries. Its initiatives will also cover the sectors involved in the engineering of technical and professional teaching and training systems in secondary and higher education, digital tools and materials, diploma recognition and the exercise of trades, as well as international mobility.

The three establishments say they also plan to create vocational training centres, with the development of work-study programs and apprenticeships, as well as the integration of underprivileged people to training solutions.

“Schneider Electric has a long history of cooperation with the French Ministry of National Education and plays an active role in energy education,” said Vermot-Desroches. “We are always willing and delighted to strengthen cooperation between business and education to build new synergies.”