Training and employment: A fresh start for young exiles in Grenoble

The Foundation teams, Weavers in Lyon and Objectif Emploi beneficiaries.

For one year, the Foundation is supporting* the "Objectif Emploi: training and support for young exiles in their search for employment in Grenoble" project run by the Weavers France association, aimed at facilitating the professional integration of exiled people in the Grenoble region. By September 2025, the association will be helping 96 young people in France find employment, including 24 young exiles in Grenoble, thanks to a full-time training program (30 hours a week). After training, the young people will be directed towards apprenticeship contracts, fixed-term or open-ended contracts, in order to meet the labor needs of local companies and remove obstacles to hiring.

Employees from the Air Liquide Advanced Technologies site in Sassenage will be able to get involved in this project**, in particular by pairing up with the trainees. They will also be able to co-host workshops, CV reviews and interview simulations, and take part in company tours.

At the end of February in Lyon, the Air Liquide Foundation team had the pleasure of meeting the Weavers association teams and 7 beneficiaries with residence permits from Syria, Bangladesh, Turkey, Georgia and Sudan. Through these testimonials, she was able to see the positive impact of the program for young refugees. The diversity of the group training, with workshops in French, digital skills and business rules, coupled with internships, really prepares them for a return to employment. These internships also enable them to validate their choice of career direction. Some are heading for positions in the hotel industry as chambermaids or valets, others in the catering industry as waiters or commis. One of them decided to change direction after his internship, and is now aiming for a job in electricity.

"The most important thing for me is to learn French, to be able to read and write with fewer spelling mistakes for me, the hardest part of learning French is the passé composé!"

"The association gives us a better understanding of all the complex administrative aspects we need on a daily basis."

"Thanks to the coaching, I've learned to control my emotions, express myself better and present myself better at job interviews."


*The Foundation's endowment also contributes to the individual follow-up of learners, the management of the program involving pairs of learners and local residents, and the purchase of teaching materials. 
** The Air Liquide "Citizen at Work" program enables employees to take part in volunteer activities during their working hours, reinforcing the company's commitment to society while promoting the personal development of its employees.