“Skills sponsorship is volunteering during work hours, meaning it allows employees, with their employer's agreement, to support, through the donation of their professional and personal skills, structures of general interest in their community,” explains Jean-Michel Pasquier.
With its 17 years of existence, KOEO offers two main formats of skills sponsorship. First, one that is open to all employees of the company, who can donate between 1 and 5 days of their work time per year.
Then, there is a more specific format that supports those nearing retirement, typically 2 to 3 years away, who wish to create a new life project. Here, commitments range from 24 to 36 months full-time in an association, allowing these organizations to rely on dedicated individuals for long-term, highly structured missions.
Finally, there is an intermediate format, which concerns, for example, consultants between two assignments. They can then be redeployed to associations, which can benefit from the digital expertise of the involved professional.
“For employers, skills sponsorship is an act of philanthropy and generosity, but it is also a concrete way to involve employees in CSR, making them active participants in the company's solidarity,” explains Jean-Michel Pasquier.
Topics related to quality of life at work, mobility, seniority, sometimes addiction, and violence against women are addressed by partner associations, which are issues that employer organizations, both companies and local communities, encounter over time.
"And the fact that the association can, in return, come to testify and that an employee can discover such themes is undoubtedly beneficial for the entire human organization.”
"What we also advocate is a right to skills sponsorship, meaning that everyone should be able to benefit from at least one day of skills sponsorship per year. Because today, someone who wants to engage in skills sponsorship can only do so if their organization has decided to allow it".
"And we all know that right now, associations are suffering from cuts in funding and volunteers. This would be a welcome breath of fresh air and would encourage more people to get involved in volunteering alongside their work. They say that when you give, you receive, but this is even truer when you give your time to an association,” concludes Jean-Michel Pasquier.
