SPIE joins the PAQTE program to promote the inclusion and professional integration of young people from working-class neighborhoods

Saint-Denis, 12 October 2022 - SPIE Facilities, a French subsidiary of SPIE, the leading independent European pure-player in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has announced that it has joined the PAQTE (Pacte Avec les Quartiers pour Toutes les Entreprises), a partnership initiative between the French government, associations and companies. The PAQTE aims to raise awareness, provide training and recruit in the priority neighborhoods (Quartiers prioritaires de la Politique de la Ville, QPV). SPIE Facilities is joining this initiative to promote professional inclusion and integration by mobilizing its employees, thereby strengthening its strong commitment to employment in working-class neighborhoods.

By joining PAQTE, SPIE joins more than 100 member companies that have responded to the government's call to "do their part" in the fight against unemployment, which affects a quarter of the population of the 1,500 priority urban policy districts and more than a third of young people. By developing specific human resources policies, the signatory companies are working to recruit work-study students and long-term interns, and to promote more responsible purchasing policies.

Fostering dialogue between companies and young people from working-class neighborhoods and promoting professional inclusion and integration

SPIE Facilities intends to give as many people as possible the chance to participate in its activities by implementing the commitments set out in the PAQTE (www.paqte.fr): 
- "Raising awareness": By helping young people gain a better understanding of the corporate world, by enabling them to discover sectors of activitý and professions, thanks in particular to increased access to internships starting in the 3rd grade at college.
- "Train" : By promoting apprenticeship, through guidance and easy access to work-study programs for apprentices.
- Recruit": By mobilizing tools that promote equal opportunity in the recruitment process and reduce discriminatory biases at the time of hiring and throughout a person's career, in order to reduce unemployment in the disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Contribute to the economic dynamism of working-class neighborhoods

The fourth commitment of the PAQTE, "Purchasing", encourages signatory companies to strengthen their responsible purchasing policy by giving them access to a network of suppliers and partners, identified and qualified in the QPVs, to develop contracts oriented towards supporting employment and training in the neighborhoods.

By joining the PAQTE program, SPIE Facilities is committed to strengthening its role as an economic and social player, promoting inclusion and diversity throughout France and contributing to the development of the local economy.

As a first step in this new partnership, SPIE Facilities took part in the "apprenticeship job-dating" event organized with IMPACT partners on September 16, 2022 in Paris, a great opportunity to meet candidates interested in joining the company in administrative and technical jobs. Some of them are already in the process of being recruited. SPIE Facilities will continue the numerous recruitment initiatives already in place at all its sites.

According to Cyril Pouet, Managing Director of SPIE Facilities: "Performance, proximity and responsibility are SPIE's values. Given our nationwide presence and in line with our values, joining the PAQTE was an obvious choice. At SPIE Facilities, we are committed to inclusion and equal opportunities at all levels of the company. By committing to PAQTE, we will be strengthening our proximity to talent and companies in priority neighborhoods in a very concrete way."