NEWS & PRESS RELEASES

The partnership forecasts the sharing of resources and knowledge in the building sector and the updating of the teachers’ and student’s professional knowledge and skills. It plans to organize initial and long-term formation for a sustainable professional insertion of young people. Three Centres of Excellence as well as one reference centre will be created. Specific curricula will be deployed in the whole country in the sectors of electricity, wood, building and public work. This project was conceived within an international context of School business relationships and it will trigger the renovation of the education sector for the professional formation of young Haitians. It is the first step before young graduates, notably from unprivileged areas, could finally enter the profession.

This partnership responds to urgent needs. The earthquake on the 12th of January caused the death of 300 000 people and destroyed up to 60% of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. In Léogâne, 80% of the buildings have collapsed or damaged. Most public buildings and institutions have been hit. With more than 4 000 schools destroyed in Port-au-Prince, the education sector is in a very poor state. According to estimates, about 20 million cubic meters of rubbles of demolished structures need to be swept away before starting the reconstruction. This will be of utmost importance in a country with a high degree of systemic risk. Before the January 12th quake, Haiti was already short of a skilled workforce and of people with qualifications in the building sector. The professional formations available were either insufficient or ill-adapted.

The different partners shared their goals and commitments during the signature of the partnership.

Ministry of National Education and Professional Formation (Haiti)
The Ministry of National Education and Professional Formation has the mission to develop and implement a national system of professional formation which responds to the needs of the productive sector and with the final goal of improving the Haitian economy’s productivity
The National Institute for Professional Training will be in charge of the implementation of the national system of professional formation. Corporate partnerships are a key strategy to define, develop and implement professional formation programmes.

National Education Ministry (France)
The DREIC (Direction of the European and International relations and cooperation, part of the French Education ministry) coordinates and organizes the development of exchanges and cooperation between the different education systems of many countries.
The French leading agency for international mobility, networks and promotion of professional formation of the DREIC is in charge of developing international partnerships which are systematically based on school-business relationships.


Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centres/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, and efficient, the company's 100,000 employees achieved sales of more than 15.8 billion euros in 2009, through an active commitment to help individuals and organisations “make the most of their energy”.

The Schneider Electric Foundation
The Schneider Electric Foundation under the aegis of the “Fondation de France” sponsors:
•    professional insertion projects for jobs in the electricity sector (BipBop project)
•    associative projects in support of disadvantaged young people in their training and professional insertion projects
•    Schneider Electric’s employees long-term commitment
•    Post-disaster reconstruction
•    Actions to make young people aware of sustainable development stakes

The Quisqueya University
The Quisqueya University (UNIQ), a national superior institute, is a private foundation engaged in public interest work. The University has become well-known thanks to the quality of its teaching and research programmes, which have been led in partnership with French universities and the “Agence universitaire de la Francophonie” a university association for French-speaking institutions. The University is also famous for the many community services it leads in partnership with several corporations, the State and local communities. Within existing National Education plans, the UNIQ has developed several programs, among which a Master of Educational Management,  which appeals to education professionals and members of the Haitian Ministry of National Education and Professional Formation, in partnership with the Paris-Est University, and a pilot program to train trainers for professional formation. A remote training scheme which will provide continuous training for Fundamental School teachers is currently being prepared in partnership with the Ministry of National Education and Professional Formation.  

Aide et Action
The association Aide et Action was created in 1981. This international non-governmental organization specialized in education operates in 22 countries, Africa, Asia, Latin Caribbean America and Europe. With more than 100 projects, Aide et Action, and its partners, focuses on improving access to quality education for more than 5 million children and adults. Monitored by the French Comité de la Charte, Aide et Action, a public interest association, is supported by about 63 000 sponsors. Aide et Action, which works in cooperation with the French School, acts for a world where dignity is ensured for all thanks to education. Free from any political or religious affiliation, its engagement and activities are founded in values of liberty, respect, solidarity, equality and integrity.




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Press contact : Aide et Action : Anne Cassiot  – +33 (0)1 55 25 70 13