Since this Thursday, April 10, the UniLaSalle Disability Support Service has had one more supporter.
The Cristal Union cooperative sugar group has signed a partnership with UniLaSalle and its Jean-Baptiste Gagne Foundation – UniLaSalle, covering financial assistance as well as joint actions around the professional inclusion of young people with disabilities.
"This partnership strongly resonates with what we are setting up at Cristal Union, in line with our values. So it was only natural that when we discovered UniLaSalle's disability mission and the actions already underway, we felt it was important, almost obvious, to lend our support,” said Rachel Dachelet, Social Development Manager in the Human Resources Department of Cristal Union, at the time of the official signing.
An essential partnership for UniLaSalle's Disability mission. “Our mission does not stop at graduation: it goes as far as professional integration” explains Xavier Quernin, Disability Officer at UniLaSalle. "And for that, this support is really indispensable. Today, we are fortunate to be able to count on a network of partner companies We are now going to add Cristal Union to this list. This partnership brings to nine the number of companies that actively support this initiative.
Active collaboration for professional integration
Beyond financial support, this partnership recognizes Cristal Union's desire to help Lasallian students with disabilities integrate into the workforce by sharing information on internship and apprenticeship opportunities and recruitment opportunities.
In addition, Cristal Union teams will be invited to participate in AgoraJob (the UniLaSalle business forum) and other events organized on campus, in order to meet students with disabilities, present them with the group's professions and, if necessary, make concrete offers.
For Philippe Choquet, CEO of UniLaSalle, signing such a partnership with a sugar cooperative was a no-brainer: "The objective of this Disability Mission was also to address the important issue of integrating people with disabilities into the business world. It has always seemed natural and essential to us to do so in partnership with the companies that support our courses. Cristal Union is one of the companies with which we already work, and the signing of this agreement marks a new stage."
UniLaSalle, a leading school for the inclusion of students with disabilities
Since its creation in 2011, UniLaSalle's Mission Handicap has supported several hundred students with disabilities on its four campuses. This unwavering and constant commitment reflects UniLaSalle's desire to be a school “for all”, in keeping with its Lasallian roots.
“For example, in June 2024, we supported 144 students across all four sites. It's not just about numbers for the sake of it, but it shows that this is a comprehensive policy, supported by the entire institution. This number is four times the average observed in higher education,” says Xavier Quernin. This is testament to a collective commitment: teaching teams, companies, internal and external stakeholders, student associations and the students themselves.
The strong momentum generated by UniLaSalle's Disability Mission has infused all aspects of school life. Student associations, in particular, are very involved in making their events accessible, so as not to exclude anyone from these moments in life.
