After signing its first agreement on employment and disabilities in 2014, Korian has renewed its commitment to support workers with disabilities for three more years. The new agreement, approved by all four trade unions represented at the company, reflects the essence of Korian's CSR policy. Key provisions call for creating a community of disability officers at local level, and stepping up training and job opportunities for young people with disabilities. 

In the three years since Korian signed the first agreement, it has raised the number of employees with disabilities in its workforce to 5.06%. The company now intends to continue this effort and increase the percentage to 6% over the next three years, under an ambitious new plan to recruit 225 more employees with disabilities. 

The new agreement is a core component of Korian's commitment to promote diversity and includes innovations such as creating a community of disability officers at Korian facilities. In addition to strengthening the existing regional network for people with disabilities and helping to onboard new employees and trainees with disabilities, the new community will improve and expand its work through a dedicated platform for sharing information and best practices. Korian will also provide training for all employees involved in the programme.

The new agreement also has a strong focus on training and job opportunities for young people with disabilities. Several initiatives to promote the hiring of trainees and apprentices with disabilities will be developed through partnerships with job retraining centres—in Montpellier, Mulhouse and other locations—that train future nurses and caregivers with disabilities. More than 40 trainees and apprentices have already joined Korian through these partnerships, which will be strengthened and expanded under the new agreement. 

Finally, in 2017 Korian launched its first apprenticeship programme in hospital domestic services in France’s Centre region, in partnership with INHNI, a French apprentice training organisation and CAP Emploi, a network promoting recruitment of workers with disabilities. Nineteen apprentices, several with disabilities, are currently receiving training in hospital domestic services, and the programme has been so successful the agreement calls for expanding it to other regions in 2018.