All the integration programmes supported by the Orange Foundation have been affected by Covid-19. Based on classroom training sessions, they were totally disrupted during the lockdown period. Since May and the necessary implementation of preventive measures, Orange Solidarity has adapted its digital training courses. Discover the stories of two Orange employee volunteers and women enrolled in integration programmes run by the non-profit Action Femmes Grand Sud
Remote training for connected women
Two Orange employees on a skills philanthropy mission with Orange Solidarity in Toulouse trained 40 women enrolled in integration programmes from 8 associations. They asked Françoise Baraquin, chair of the non-profit Action Femmes Grand Sud, if they could set up virtual workshops. These workshops helped unemployed women aged 45 and over like Anne and Emmanuelle who spoke about their experience:
Anne: “The virtual workshops I took part in refreshed our skills in Word and Excel and were tailored to each person’s level.
The only snag was the difficulty adapting to the different IT equipment (PC/Apple) which are slightly different from one another. There was still a very friendly atmosphere thanks to the video! Thank you to the hosts.”
Emmanuelle: “The exercise is simple and easy to follow. The educational materials are good quality: understandable and comprehensive. The audio assistance is clear and suited to the listener’s pace.
All of the needs were covered. The end of each session opened the door to other training opportunities. The benefits: Tailored training, Availability of the trainer, Complete exercises, Easy to interact.”
Much appreciated private lessons
Françoise Baraquin, chair of the association, said “Vincent Thomas and Pierrette Foulquier (Orange Solidarity members) have continued to run the office suite workshops since the end of the lockdown via videoconferencing. This involves providing private lessons that meet the needs and expectations of each person. The candidates can even ask to work on a specific point, a feature. They love this format and Vincent and Pierrette’s ability to adapt the lessons to the listener’s level. They have received many demands and responded to them all.
These workshops have maintained a link between us and the candidates, which is really reassuring for the candidates who are looking for a job or creating their own business during this difficult period.
A big thank you to Orange Solidarity, Vincent and Pierrette.”
And what about people without an internet connection?
More face-to-face workshops but with fewer participants and trainers are gradually being reorganised for people on integration programmes who do not have an internet connection or who are not sufficiently proficient in digital tools to follow distance courses.
The Digital Workshops hosted by Orange Solidarity are starting up again across France but... with fewer participants, in groups of 4 to 5 people. Some classes of 12 to 20 people have been divided into several sessions for example.
The health crisis, which forced us to take emergency measures to save
lives, has now intensified the need to integrate the most fragile people into the world of work using digital technology.