The Schneider Electric Foundation and Schneider Electric are proud to celebrate a major milestone in its commitment to empowering young people through education and entrepreneurship.  The Foundation’s Youth Education & Entrepreneurship Programme has now trained more than 38,000 youths in Anglophone Africa and over 824,000 globally by the end of 2024.

The Youth Education and Entrepreneurship Programme has impacted over 60 countries, collaborating with more than 400 partners worldwide in empowering youth and young women to play an active role and lead the energy transition, focusing on energy technical training, new skills for the future, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.

Key achievements of the programme since its inception in 2009 include:

• 824,404 individuals trained worldwide.
• 11,140 trainers certified, exceeding the 10,000 target.
• 11,295 entrepreneurs supported, surpassing the 10,000 goal.

The Foundation and Schneider Electric remains committed to achieving its goal of training 1 million people in energy management by the end of 2025, which also forms part of the Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) transformation dashboard. 

“We look forward to continuing our impact in Anglophone Africa this year by training the youth, women, and entrepreneurs with essential skills to shape the energy transition landscape,” says Carina van Zyl, Corporate Citizenship Leader for Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric.

The Foundation and Schneider Electric’s initiatives in Anglophone Africa have significantly contributed to this global impact. Milestones include:

• French Southern Africa Schneider Electric Education Centre (F’SASEC) network, established in 2012 – a flagship vocational training initiative that has played a crucial role in building technical expertise across the region. This includes Sedibeng TVET College, based in Sebokeng and Vereeniging in the Vaal Triangle which has trained over 1 000 students in 2024 alone.  
• New Skills for the Future and Innovation programme with Enactus in Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa – driving innovation and entrepreneurship among university and high school students - trained over 15,000 youths in 2024 in energy transition and sustainability across the region.

Through partnerships with training organisations, the Foundation and Schneider Electric has also rolled out important training programmes in Anglophone Africa including:

• Don Bosco - training programmes in Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
• Sisters of Mary (Tanzania, East Africa) - focused on empowering female trainees.
• Trace Academia - upskilling youth in digital and energy-related skills.
• Ukufunda Youth Development programme in South Africa, creating opportunities for underprivileged youth to access the economy.