sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

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Internships during a student’s final year of study are
a particularly effective way of introducing our businesses
and corporate culture to potential applicants, who can
then be inducted more effectively into the Group upon
completing their studies. Each year in France, for example,
more than 1,000 interns receive training in programs lasting
six months or more. The internships are government-regulated
and remunerated according to a uniform recommended
pay scale.
In close cooperation with the French Agency for International
Business Development (UBIFRANCE), Saint-Gobain offers
assignments worldwide to French students as part
of the country’s Volunteer for International Experience (VIE)
program. Some 30 contracts were signed in 2008, bringing
the total number of interns hosted since 2001 to more
than 200. The United States, Germany and Britain were
the top destinations for participants, followed by countries
in Asia, Latin America and Central Europe.
On average, over 30% of VIE participants are subsequently
hired, principally in the fields of industrial processes,
finance and Research and Development.
A core component of the Group’s strategy, innovation is driven
by an extensive Research and Development commitment.
As a result, particular care is given to recruiting researchers.
Indeed, the global Research and Development workforce is
steadily increasing, to support our major strategic initiatives
and enhance Research and Development’s contribution to
organic growth. In 2008, more than 120 research managers
were hired in the various Research and Development centers
around the world.
Saint-Gobain is initiating long-term collaborative research
projects with top-ranked university laboratories,
with the ultimate goal of hiring researchers in strategic
countries to help drive our local growth. Universities
aligned with this objective have been identified and grants
are now being offered for post-doctoral theses and internships
(see the article on the SUN network on page 31).
Sustaining the Group’s long-term development
The transfer of skills across countries and generations
represents a critical challenge for Saint-Gobain,
whose businesses rely on precise, complex skills
and capabilities. This is an area where our Principles
of professional commitment and solidarity play a critical role.
In keeping with these values, a Forward Management of Jobs
ans Skills (GPEC) agreement was signed on March 19, 2008,
by Chief Executive Officer Pierre-André de Chalendar
and four French unions. The agreement is open-ended
and was presented in detail to the works councils.
The signatories emphasized their commitment to
strengthening the role of collective bargaining, to defining
a common base of Human resources planning procedures
applicable to all of our employees in France, and to giving
employees a voice in building their career path. The agreement
also expresses our commitment to retaining older workers
and to expanding work-study opportunities.
For the first time, the Group has deployed an agreement
that applies to all of its subsidiaries in France, with the aim
of developing a common skills management process:
“While reflecting the specific characteristics and needs
of each business, organization and company, this agreement
is designed to make current policies and practices
more consistent, as appropriate, and to point the way
towards a more effective shared approach to Human resources
planning and management in the various companies within
its purview” (excerpt from the introduction to the agreement).
Maintaining and passing on expertise is especially
important in glassmaking, where the gradual transfer
of acquired capabilities and skills poses a strategic challenge.
A number of retired engineers, for example, continue
to teach and instill their knowledge, notably at the Glass
University, a forum for interaction and dialogue
where skills can be handed on to a new generation
of engineers.
Another initiative designed to facilitate the transfer
of expertise is the Manufacturing Know-How Transfer
& Training project (MKT2), which is designed for operators
in the Flat Glass and Insulation businesses (see page 64).
THE FORWARD MANAGEMENT OF JOBS
AND SKILLS AGREEMENT AND INITIATIVES
TOSUPPORT OLDER EMPLOYEES
Signed in March 2008, the agreement comprises a large
number of measures designed to retain employees
who have reached the “second half” of their career:
• A mid-career review with the employee and his
or her manager, to discuss the employee’s skills,
continued employability, training needs, personal
situation and career development.
• A skills review and priority access to France’s Validation
of Learning through Experience (VAE) program,
to encourage employees to map out a mid-career
advancement plan.
• Procedures for applying France’s Individual Right
to Training program to employees aged 50 or older.
• Identification and transfer of critical knowledge
and experience.
• An expanded tutoring program.
Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report