In September and October, two innovative training programs were launched in Polygone Riviera (Cagnes-sur-Mer) and in Euralille (Lille). The SKOLA program is part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s “UR for Jobs”, which aims at supporting young people cut off from the job market in their professional integration through the numerous job opportunities offers in the Group shopping centres. Led in partnership with Apprentis d’Auteuil and other private and public actors, SKOLA has offered a 2-month sales training to 32 young unemployed people.

SKOLA : an innovative and efficient training concept, initiated by UR for Jobs, to help young unemployed people access employment

This year, 2 shopping centres in France – Euralille (Lille) and Polygone Riviera (Cagnes-sur-Mer) – have launched a new innovative initiative, part of UR for Jobs through a strong partnership with the Auteuil Foundation: SKOLA. Indeed, twenty trainees at Polygone Riviera and twelve trainees at Euralille have started a 2-month sales education program, which offers them a unique opportunity: combining theory and practice in temporary SKOLA shops set up within the shopping centres. In the shops, trainees face real sales situations and in parallel, they attend classes and workshops in the training backroom. At the end of the training, SKOLA trainees will have the opportunity to either be recruited by one of the shopping centre retailers through job dating events or pursue their study to get a complete certification.

The SKOLA project was launched by “UR for Jobs”, which is Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s social program that seeks to foster employment and build bridges between young unemployed people and the retailers’ needs of workforce. Progressively implemented in all of the Group assets since 2016, the program relies on three pillars:

• Training, to acquire the skills in customer service related positions required by the retailers,
• Coaching from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield employees to prepare job interviews,
• Exposure to identified recruiters in the shopping centres during job fairs.

Companies and employment professionals involved at each step of this project

The SKOLA project was made possible thanks to the involvement of numerous partners. It gathered private and public actors to accompany the participants in their journey:

• Both shopping centres provide qualitative points of sale and strong commitment in all steps of the process (job fair organisation…). Approximately 20 Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield employees also got involved to prepare candidates for job interviews,
• Numerous retailers have a key role in the adventure: some provided merchandising and products for SKOLA, others provided workshops on targeted topics (textile, career opportunities…), and shop directors mentored trainees (individual feedback and advice),
• The Auteuil Foundation coordinates the entire program, from product management to pedagogical content. Thanks to its expertise, the program is more than just a sales training: broader individualised social support is given to candidates to solve any personal issue (housing, mobility…) to secure a long term professional integration and maximise their chances of success to be recruited,
• Institutional players specialized in professional integration were key to finance the program (Agefos PME) and source the motivated trainees (Pôle Emploi and Mission Locale).

The SKOLA program was created as part of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Better Places 2030 strategy that commits, among others, to foster employment and social development. The Group is convinced that each asset, as an economic player of its territories, has an important role to play to create social value for the communities in which they are implemented.

These SKOLA programs are the first step of a broader development: the goal is to renew these training programs year after year and to extend them to more shopping centres, both in France and abroad.