The Bouygues Construction corporate foundation, Terre Plurielle, and the "Act Against Exclusion" Foundation, FACE (Fondation Agir contre l'Exclusion), have signed a strategic partnership to combat exclusion and promote greater social cohesion through professional integration. 

This partnership, which will initially last for two years, will be implemented in 2012 and 2013. It consists of three projects intended to improve the employability of people in socially vulnerable situations or living in areas where work opportunities are distant: 

•    Formation of the FACE territorial network, consisting of community organisations and companies mobilised to fight against exclusion. Terre Plurielle will help improve the skills of this network by funding training programmes on integration and creating dedicated tools.

•    Launch of a prize for "integration" in the context of trophies for commitment to inner-city areas jointly organised by FACE and ANRU (the French national agency for urban renewal). These trophies reward projects in difficult neighbourhoods that have a tangible impact in terms of social cohesion (job creation, economic development, social relations, etc.). In addition to the four national awards presented in 2011, there will now be a "professional integration and inclusion" prize, funded and presented by Terre Plurielle. 

•    Support for an initiative designed to help people into employment: Terre Plurielle will support "Job Academy," an operation to help young people with or without school-leaving qualifications living in sensitive urban zones (ZUS) find employment. Five intakes of Job Academy participants will be sponsored this year by the Bouygues Construction foundation: 80 to 100 young men and women who will benefit from individual mentoring by Group employees: coaching, company culture, etc.

All these measures will be developed primarily in the Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, Marseille and Nancy regions. 

Yves Gabriel, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bouygues Construction and Terre Plurielle, said: "The signing of this partnership reflects the social and societal commitment of Bouygues Construction, especially on the theme of exclusion." This agreement is in line with the Group's sustainable development policy, which places social, societal and environmental issues at the heart of its strategy. 

Vincent Baholet, Managing Director of FACE, said: "The foundation is stepping up its action to address the concerns of job seekers, territories and companies in the field of equal opportunities and inclusion. Our partnership with the Bouygues Construction Terre Plurielle foundation is a further demonstration of the company's commitment to fighting exclusion and to its own social responsibility."

  
Notes to Editors 

Terre Plurielle
Terre Plurielle, the Bouygues Construction corporate foundation, was founded in 2009. It provides financial support for around 80 projects sponsored by Group employees which aim to improve access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities for disadvantaged people, both in France and abroad.

FACE
Fondation Agir Contre l'Exclusion (FACE) is a public utility foundation which encourages social innovation and societal commitment of companies in the field. In France, it brings together 4,000, small and medium-sized enterprises, intermediate size businesses and large groups as part of its network of 37 local FACE clubs. Its action takes the form of prevention and fighting against all forms of exclusion, discrimination and poverty, regarding access to employment, education and daily life.