We believe that everyone should have equal access to career opportunities, and thus have the chance to reach their potential. We also believe that a diverse workforce is key to a thriving business.
So, we’ve focused our CSR strategy on making the banking sector more accessible to individuals who are under-represented in financial services - women and those from diverse ethnic minority and/or low-socio economic backgrounds. We’re benchmarking our programmes against the Sustainable Development Goals in alignment with the bank’s priority – to contribute to the positive transformations of our economies and societies - and we are centring them around the skills development of these groups to increase employment opportunities for them in both the banking sector and beyond.
Through this, we aim to enhance the diversity of our workforce, as well as empower our staff to contribute to our overall goal by sharing their own skills and experiences, so that together, we can make a positive impact on the community.
Programmes And Partnerships
Our Fundraising Charity Partner: Shelter
Following the devastating impact of Covid-19, the right to a safe, secure home has never been more important. Yet hundreds of thousands of people are homeless, living in cramped temporary accommodation or sleeping rough. One in three people are impacted by the housing emergency, living in overcrowded, dangerous, unaffordable housing. Each year, Shelter supports millions of people who are struggling with homelessness or housing issues to defend their right to a safe home, securing the foundation to build their lives on.
We have partnered with Shelter to support the #FightForHome through the Getting Real Opportunities of Work (GROW) Programme, which offers 12-month paid placements to people who have experienced homelessness. In their roles, trainees use their lived experiences as a tool to tackle the housing emergency, influencing design of services, and supporting other people affected by housing issues or homelessness to get involved in campaigns, as well as access the support they need to find a safe home.
Throughout our five-year partnership, we will support a minimum of 20 GROW trainees by funding paid employment and the support they need to overcome barriers to progressing into the workplace through various funding including employee fundraising and matched funding from the SG UK Foundation. The success of the programme means that 90% of trainees will go on to education or full-time work, giving them a chance to rebuild their own lives.
In regional offices where our private bank Kleinwort Hambros is operating, our colleagues are partnering with local charities to support their communities in the challenges they face: Jersey Women’s Refuge, Guernsey’s Rural Occupational Workshop (GROW) and Clubhouse Gibraltar. Click here for more information.
Volunteering: Sharing Our Skills to Increase Employability Prospect
The Young Influencers Programme: Investing In Tomorrow’s Brightest
When it comes to building a sustainable future, too many young people don’t see banking as part of the solution. So not enough want to be part of our industry – particularly as some have been facing long-standing barriers preventing them from accessing employment opportunities. To create a bright tomorrow for all, we must ensure we better reflect the society of today by increasing employment opportunities for underrepresented groups in the Financial Services industry.
From financing green tech and clean energy to backing equitable enterprises, banking is one of the influencing industries that will shape the future. For all young people aspiring for a better world, the sector offers them an ideal platform to create change and Societe Generale is more determined than ever to open the doors of opportunity.
Our flagship Young Influencers Programme, which launched in October 2021, aims to equip the next generation of talent with the skills needed to build a successful career and make a positive impact. The programme will see 75 East London 16–18-year-olds enrolled this year, with a focus on young women, diverse ethnic minority students and students from a low socio-economic background.
The programme is comprised of a six-month series of interactive workshops. They explore real life banking case studies, which allow students to understand the important role the banking sector plays in being part of the solution to building a sustainable future. It also gives them opportunities to put these into practice, helping them acquire practical knowledge and skills in the process.
The workshops are supported by our employee volunteers who contribute their energy and expertise to inspire the students with the aim of having a positive impact on their future and our wider society.
Young Influencers Programme participants are invited to apply for a paid work experience placement during the following summer, giving them the opportunity to put their newly acquired skills and knowledge into practice in the workplace.
Our Wider Volunteering Offer: Opportunities and Positive Impact
Underpinning our flagship programme, we have a range of opportunities for employees to share their time, skills and experience to positively impact our local communities.
We offer all employees 24 hours per year of volunteering time, which can be used to undertake a personal volunteering activity, or to access the range of CSR programmes organised centrally - from one-off employability and business planning workshops, to ongoing mentoring, community leadership coaching and trusteeships.