SOCOTEC and the Saó Prat Foundation complete the first edition of their inclusive training program
First edition of the SOCOTEC and Saó Prat Foundation social inclusion program comes to a close
SOCOTEC and the Saó Prat Foundation promote social inclusion by training young talents for the construction sector
As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, at SOCOTEC we are celebrating the conclusion of the first edition of the inclusive training program launched alongside the Saó Prat Foundation. This initiative reinforces our commitment to the social environment, offering real professional development opportunities to young talents.
SOCOTEC CSR Strategy
An agreement for social and labor integration
The strategic collaboration between SOCOTEC and the Saó Prat Foundation is the result of a shared vision that puts people at the center of every activity. At SOCOTEC, we understand that corporate progress is incomplete if it does not actively contribute to the development and well-being of its social environment. As the Saó Prat Foundation advocate, employment is the most powerful tool for real inclusion, and their social-labor insertion model serves as the perfect vehicle to transform our intent into tangible impact.
The project kicked off at our headquarters and laboratory in Montcada i Reixac (Barcelona), where our Sustainability Director, Martí Riera, welcomed the first group of students to give them a firsthand look at the day-to-day operations of the facilities.
Following this initial contact, after several weeks of training, tutoring, and mentoring across the various laboratories, the students specialized as laboratory assistants in aggregate, soil, and concrete testing, guided and mentored at all times by our technical team.
This alliance enables us to drive true transformation across three key pillars:
Identifying and empowering talent: We provide opportunities to young people with great potential who have faced external barriers when accessing the job market.
Building meaningful futures: We enable these young people to overcome vulnerable contexts through real, rigorous, and enriching professional experience.
Transforming corporate culture: Integrating these profiles brings diversity, shared values, and a more human perspective to our teams.
The strategic collaboration between SOCOTEC and the Saó Prat Foundation is the result of a shared vision that puts people at the center of every activity. At SOCOTEC, we understand that corporate progress is incomplete if it does not actively contribute to the development and well-being of its social environment. As the Saó Prat Foundation advocate, employment is the most powerful tool for real inclusion, and their social-labor insertion model serves as the perfect vehicle to transform our intent into tangible impact.
The project kicked off at our headquarters and laboratory in Montcada i Reixac (Barcelona), where our Sustainability Director, Martí Riera, welcomed the first group of students to give them a firsthand look at the day-to-day operations of the facilities.
Following this initial contact, after several weeks of training, tutoring, and mentoring across the various laboratories, the students specialized as laboratory assistants in aggregate, soil, and concrete testing, guided and mentored at all times by our technical team.
This alliance enables us to drive true transformation across three key pillars:
Identifying and empowering talent: We provide opportunities to young people with great potential who have faced external barriers when accessing the job market.
Building meaningful futures: We enable these young people to overcome vulnerable contexts through real, rigorous, and enriching professional experience.
Transforming corporate culture: Integrating these profiles brings diversity, shared values, and a more human perspective to our teams.
The feedback on this first edition is overwhelmingly positive, thanks to the students' great dedication and commitment. For the second edition, we are planning a 1.5 to 2-month format to accommodate up to three students simultaneously and optimize their hands-on practical experience.
Positive balance and looking ahead to the second edition
Following the conclusion of this initial phase, both SOCOTEC and the Saó Prat Foundation view the experience as extremely positive. The foundation highlights the exceptional opportunity this has represented for the young participants, who fully maximized this hands-on training in a real work environment.
As a result of this joint effort, we are already defining the details of the second edition to further consolidate the project. Proposed enhancements include a more dynamic format lasting between 1.5 and 2 months, accommodating up to three students simultaneously to ensure highly personalized attention and training.
Commitment to future talent and our Green Trust pledge
One of the primary benefits of this partnership with the Saó Prat Foundation is the genuine potential for participants to join the SOCOTEC team. Although certain specialized technical field or laboratory roles currently require a driver's license—a requirement that influences immediate hiring in specific areas—all students who successfully completed this first edition will be given priority in our job candidate pool, positioning them for placement as relevant openings emerge.
At SOCOTEC, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not treated as an isolated department, but as the cross-cutting philosophy guiding our entire corporate culture. Consequently, this social-labor inclusion program aligns directly with our core purpose across four strategic pillars:
Driving Social Inclusion: We advocate for a society that leaves no one behind. We actively partner with social organizations to turn inclusion challenges into tangible future opportunities, empowering individuals through employment and practical technical training.
Being a Great Place To Work: Our people are our most valuable asset. We promote an environment grounded in respect, flexibility, and ongoing professional development, where diversity enriches our teams and reinforces our status as an exceptional workplace.
Sustainable Growth – Green Trust: Under our Green Trust commitment, we foster purposeful development that delivers lasting value to the built environment, ensuring the trust of both our clients and society.
Carbon Footprint Reduction: We engineer efficient technical solutions to reduce the environmental impact of operations, aligning closely with global decarbonization targets.
Through initiatives like this, SOCOTEC demonstrates that our commitment to sustainability and social value extends well beyond engineering: it begins with people and with building a more inclusive, sustainable future for everyone.
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