Opening of a new branch of the association Nos Quartiers ont des Talents in Aquitaine

The Air Liquide Foundation is supporting the association’s social insertion work and is financing the opening of a branch of Nos Quartiers ont des Talents in Bordeaux, in southwestern France.

The association “Nos quartiers ont des talents” was created on the initiative of French companies with the aim of developing bridges between the company and young people from working-class neighborhoods. A college graduate from the Seine-Saint-Denis (93) department has five times fewer chances of obtaining an interview for a job than other college graduates.

Observing the problems these young people are faced with, the association imagined personalized coaching for each of them focused on their search for a first job, thanks to the development of a sponsoring system by the company’s managers. The project targets young people under 30 with a minimum of a four-year college degree, who are employable and come from disadvantaged areas.

Each sponsor is put in contact with a young person, depending on his skills and field of activity, and manages his relationship with his “protégé” as he wishes. Support includes help with writing a résumé and cover letters but also practice interviews, learning about the company, using a personal network, etc. The project has been a success: the hiring rate of the young people followed is about 60% within six months.