Our people are Citizen at Work
Vision
Air Liquide’s success relies on the dedication and expertise of its 67,800 employees worldwide. This represents a remarkable reservoir of talent, energy and willingness to give back to communities. We are actively leveraging this shared commitment to empower our people to volunteer through a structured and engaging program called Citizen at Work. Our target: by 2025, to empower 100% of our employees to dedicate a portion of their working hours to lend a helping hand to their local communities.
Citizen at Work was launched in 2022 and, already, 73% of our people have access to the program. It focuses on areas that are in line with the company’s sustainability objectives and the teams’ expertise, with a particular emphasis on healthcare, safety, the environment, professional development and education: an initiative that not only contributes to the development of local communities but also enhances employees’ sense of purpose in their daily lives.
73%of our people can already access Citizen at Work with a target of 100% by 2025
Action
At Airgas, an Air Liquide’s subsidiary in the U.S., looking after people is clearly in the DNA and employees are always thrilled to give back to communities. When the Citizen at Work program was launched, employees seized the opportunity to get more involved. A major project is the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative launched five years ago to prepare students for careers in welding as the industry faces a shortage in skilled labour. According to projections from the American Welding Society forecasts, 336,000 new welding professionals will be needed by 2026, a challenge that Airgas contributes to address.
Since 2018, the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative has assisted 117 schools, 8,178 welding students and nearly 560 instructors across the country. In addition, 1,071 students obtained jobs directly after graduating. In 2023, with the help of the Citizen at work program, Airgas expanded the initiative, supporting 56 schools from 23 states thanks to the involvement of 113 employees.