April 4, 2012 – Schneider Electric and its foundation announced the creation of Schneider Electric Teachers Association. This non-government organization (NGO) aims to promote volunteering of current and retired Schneider Electric employees in partner organizations of the Schneider Electric Foundation, dedicated to teaching and professional training within the energy field.

“The idea behind Schneider Electric Teachers is to provide a platform for connecting skills with concrete needs, and make a distinctive contribution to education programs developed worldwide for the benefit of underprivileged young people,” explained Christian Wiest, former executive vice-president at Schneider Electric and president of the association.

Schneider Electric Teachers’ role is to link partner organizations of the Schneider Electric Foundation with volunteers, current or retired employees of Schneider Electric. For this, a dedicated website — www.teachers.schneider-electric.org — was created; missions are posted by partner organizations, then offered to pre-registered volunteers whose profile meets search criteria. Schneider Electric Teachers then organizes contacts, provides pre-departure training, takes in charge the organization and bears the costs for transport and accommodation.

“In a world in which the boundaries are continually evolving, we need to make a step change and establish new connections between the Schneider Electric community and its global environment,” added Jean-Pascal Tricoire, president and CEO at Schneider Electric. “We are hoping to respond to 300 requests from partner organizations by 2014. This objective will be followed through our next sustainable development performance indicator, the Planet & Society Barometer.”

The Schneider Electric Teachers Association is planning to develop its activities mainly in new economies (Africa, China, India and Brazil, during 2012). This initiative is an extension of the commitment undertaken by the Schneider Electric Foundation, which has 120 delegates in 70 countries and has already supported 150 projects worldwide.