Careers News
World Youth Skills Day 2022
Empowered to learn: Initiatives around the world to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable future for the next generation
On July 15, the United Nations (UN) annual World Youth Skills Day recognizes the importance of equipping young people with professional skills to prepare their entry into the labor market, to foster their entrepreneurship, and to help reduce the access barriers to work for all.
In Schlumberger, our people represent more than 160 nationalities. Our ongoing commitment to encouraging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education includes supporting educational initiatives in the communities where we live and work.
Driving professional development for the future generation
In Ecuador, Schlumberger spearheaded the ‘’Students who Transcend’’ initiative, a program aimed at providing tools to boost university students’ professional skills to help reduce the low employment rate faced by Ecuadorian youth. The participants benefit from personalized mentoring to develop their network and gain a foot into the business world.
The program was developed as part of SEED, the Schlumberger Excellence in Education and Development initiative that brings together volunteers from around the world to share their passion for learning. The SEED program sparks students’ interest in STEM subjects through inquiry-based learning and hands-on science experiments.
In Brazil, an exciting project was initiated when we came together with local stakeholders in the community and partnered with the National Service of Industrial Training, to create the ‘’Blue Talent’’ training program for young people with disabilities. The program aims to equip students with IT and software development skills and acts as a talent pipeline. A number of employment opportunities have already been offered to Blue Talent graduates.
‘’Schlumberger as a company is committed to diversity and inclusion, but we all have a role to play,’’ says Debora, Compliance Supervisor in Brazil and the driving force behind the project, ‘’Building awareness internally within Schlumberger was also key. So, we developed a communication campaign and conducted training sessions to build employee understanding and empathy.’’
Advancing learning opportunities for all by reducing inequalities
In India, Schlumberger supported a national digital classroom initiative to help address the ongoing teacher shortage by donating recycled and refurbished laptops. In doing so, the project enabled students in rural areas to connect with teachers in multiple and remote locations and participate in tailored online coaching and training sessions.
In Australia, Schlumberger is committed to building stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and reducing Aboriginal inequalities. We are investing in future generations through a scholarship program at Murdoch University, supported by the Kulbardi Aboriginal Center, as well as offering traineeship and apprenticeship programs.
Ensuring an inclusive approach to climate change
World Youth Skills Day includes consideration and efforts towards a range of interconnected challenges around sustainability. In addition to education and training, other Schlumberger initiatives include promoting responsible environmental and social sustainability and include the company’s HSE for Youth program. This seeks to inform and empower young people to make responsible decisions about their health, safety, and the environment.
Schlumberger HSE teams recently held several informative and impactful workshops on climate change in community schools in Nigeria and Iraq to help build awareness of the topic, and to highlight the importance of individual actions. “Climate action workshops provide an opportunity to improve education, raise awareness, and reinforce our responsibilities to our planet,” said Said Alwakkaa, Senior HSE Specialist and Sustainability Champion for Iraq. “It’s important to come together so that we can all address issues collectively and collaboratively.”
Schlumberger’s educational programs are fully aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals #4 quality education, #8 decent work and economic growth, #10 reduced inequalities, #13 climate action, and #17 partnerships for the goals.
Learn more about educational programs and diversity and inclusion initiatives at Schlumberger.
PUBLISH DATE
2022