— António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
With only five years left until 2030, the world is alarmingly behind schedule to achieve the Global Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015. The United Nations reported that as of September 2023, only 15% of these goals were on track.
However, almost half of the global population are under the age of 30, presenting an incredible opportunity. It is time to reshape the narrative and view this demographic not as a challenge, but as a powerful catalyst for change.
By 2030, the energy transition sector is expected to create 139 million new jobs. The key challenge lies in closing the gap between youth potential and equipping them with the necessary skills to propel this transformation.
Turning purpose into action: enabling Impact Makers for a just energy transition
Schneider Electric and the Schneider Electric Foundation are committed to harnessing the power of all generations. The Youth Education and Entrepreneurship Program within our Youth Impact Through Learning initiative gathers the group’s strategic training and education initiatives upskilling and empowering youth on the path from learners to leaders. Under this umbrella, the Youth Education & Entrepreneurship Program aims to turn young generations into Impact Makers by supporting them to take part in the energy transition, the program intends to educate one million young minds in energy management by 2025.
The program is strategically divided into three main components: Energy Technical Training, New Skills for the Future and spread entrepreneurial spirit and encourage innovation . The actions are always implemented in partnership with local players and/or national or international non-profit organizations (NGOs, Ministries of Education, International Agencies) and with Schneider Electric’s local subsidiary. Partners benefit from Schneider Electric employees support through the VolunteerIn association actions.
The Energy Technical Training focuses on equipping youth with essential technical skills by supporting the development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the energy field. Programs are tailored to meet the market’s specific needs, ensuring students are prepared for workforce challenges.
Parallel to this, the New Skills for the Future program addresses the urgent need for environmental awareness, energy efficiency, and social innovation, emphasizing critical thinking, leadership, problem-solving, and effective communication.
Finally, the program supports the right ecosystem creation to spread entrepreneurial spirit and encourage innovation, enhancing younger generations to define their future and take part in social and environmental challenges.
All branches of the Youth Education and Entrepreneurship program integrate transversal skills crucial for success in any field. Programs last from three months to three years, offering industry-recognized certificates. Online training and digital tools supplement the training programs to give access to the latest technologies and knowledge and to impact a large number of young people. Specific attention is given to refugees, women in vulnerable situation, and groups of people in marginalized situations.
The Youth Education & Entrepreneurship program has already made significant strides on a global scale, extending its reach across more than 60 countries and collaborating with over 400 partners worldwide. To date, it has successfully trained over 763-thousand youths and achieved its target of supporting over 10-thousand entrepreneurs, equipping them with the skills to launch their own businesses and upskilling 10-thousand trainers to build a robust pipeline of talents.
Gender strategy in the energy transition: empowering women through education and entrepreneurship
The Youth Education & Entrepreneurship Program’s mission, since 2009, has been to create a self-sustaining ecosystem for youth empowerment, to equip young people with the skills required in the energy sector, while advancing the gender equality agenda.
In 86% of countries, more boys than girls participate in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), so Schneider Electric and its Foundation are committed to empowering girls and women, enabling them to confidently pursue education and entrepreneurship. This shared vision is clearly embodied in the Youth Education & Entrepreneurship program, which promotes the inclusion of women in energy sector jobs and actively works to dismantle gender barriers.
The program supports local organizations focusing on skills development and female empowerment. These organizations specialized in creating inclusive ecosystems, providing training, mentoring, and funding to empower women in the energy sector and foster entrepreneurship. Simultaneously, the program and its partners engage in community awareness, advocating gender equality from the grassroots level.
In addition to these partnerships in 2022, the program launched the Women in STEM Mentorship program, where Schneider Electric female employees serve as mentors to aspiring girls in STEM education, bridging gender disparities and inspiring future generations in the energy sector.
Join us in nurturing youth for a sustainable future
Training is in Schneider Electric and the Schneider Electric Foundation’s DNA.
The Youth Education & Entrepreneurship program has already successfully reached its 2025 target of supporting 10,000 entrepreneurs and achieving a self-sustaining pipeline of skilled trainers. The coming year will be pivotal to reaching its last two targets to support 1 million young people to be trained in energy management and 10 000 trainers trained.
To learn more join us on our Youth Impact Through Learning page and Schneider Electric Foundation page.
