A joint interview with Chloé Altwegg-Boussac, Director-General and Mathilde Yahiaoui, Public policy and training officer at the National Union of Actors in Social Intervention Training and Research (Unaforis).
Since 2024, the Institut de l’Engagement and Unaforis have collaborated to offer the Planet First Aid Certificate to social work training institutions that are members of the Unaforis network. This certificate, created by the Institut de l’Engagement with the support of the CNRS, is a 2.5-hour awareness course on climate and biodiversity, enabling participants to become informed and engaged. It is designed for everyone. Thanks to this collaboration with Unaforis, six social work schools have already integrated the certificate into their training programmes.
Could you introduce Unaforis and its actions?
Chloé Altwegg-Boussac: Unaforis is the National Union of Actors and Training and Research in Social Intervention. This union brings together around a hundred member institutions that train for all professions in the social intervention sector, in initial or continuing education, from below baccalaureate level to research.
At Unaforis, we work to’Improving training content, dis ways of training and We support the training apparatus which is undergoing profound structural transformations.. For this, we are in contact with public authorities and national federations to represent training establishments, and we undertake a number of projects implemented in the regions. We have established forward-looking thinking that encourages us to consider the next twenty to thirty years, in order to anticipate future social needs, the’Possible evolution of professional practices and the skills of future social workers important to develop for the future. We therefore have significant challenges regarding the evolution of training and qualifications because they are closely linked to the needs on the ground, which in turn are constantly changing.
Why did you choose to work with the Institut de l’Engagement? What form does your collaboration with this association take?
Chloé Altwegg-Boussac: We have in common, among other things, a certain reflection around engagement. Young people who sign up for the Institut de l’engagement's projects have Profiles that may be involved in social intervention work, or having been introduced to it, perhaps by a previous Civic Service. From my perspective, there is There are many issues that the Institut de l’Engagement deals with which can have a certain overlap with the field of social action., for example, regarding the environmental issues you are working on: People who are impacted by environmental issues will also face social issues.
Mathilde Yahiaoui: In the context of the sector's attractiveness crisis too, our schools are interested in being able to approach jwho already have this sensitivity to social issues.
In your opinion, why is it important to address the environment in the training of social workers?
Chloé Altwegg-Boussac: Beforehand they are future topics, I think that's enough unmissable to work on these topics. Moreover all sectors of society have to question themselves on how they will be able to grasp the impacts of climate change in relation to their subjects. It's a Societal need, but which is a real challenge in the social field because we observe that these disruptions will affect the most vulnerable populations first. So it has a particular meaning in the field of social work, which is led to work with populations in situations of vulnerability, whatever form this may take vulnerability can take.
Mathilde Yahiaoui: The main point, it seems to me, is that Training also has a role to play in preventing an excessive accumulation of difficulties. for the public supported by social workers. Consequently, the professional will have to adapting one's practices to new needs generated by the evolution of vulnerable situations. This question of’adaptation needs to be anticipated now to mitigate any potential long-term effects, and to support those directly facing these changes as best as possible.
Chloé Altwegg-Boussac: We are trying to have a global approach in integrating climate issues by involving people who work on these issues, and not just by starting with our own problems to approach this subject.
For training establishments that are members of Unaforis, does the Planet First Aid Certificate meet a specific need?
Mathilde Yahiaoui: Our schools are highly concerned about the growing climate challenges. For this reason, they wish to tackle the issue, all the more so as the publics for whom future professionals will be responsible will be heavily impacted by it. Planet First Aid Certificate appeared as a tool that already exists and has been well received. The format also suited it well, so several schools implemented it.
On the level of themes, it tackles interesting angles, notably that of Social justice and the impact of the environment on health. It also allows for concerns that schools may have to be addressed and’to articulate the issues of precariousness and social issues with the Climate questions.
Unaforis is also a partner of the Institut de l'Engagement's «lauréats» programme. What can this programme bring to social work schools?
Chloé Altwegg-Boussac: The Institute's laureates certainly have a stronger pull towards social work. For example, in our sector, the proportion of people who have done a Civic Service is higher than in other sectors. That's the whole dimension of general engagement and interest that is common to our actions.
What are the future actions for social issues that you would like to implement in the future?
Chloé Altwegg-Boussac: I think we could work more on valorisation of commitment, it would need to be developed and formalised. This is a subject that comes up a lot in the social work training because it's valued in access to diploma.
Mathilde Yahiaoui: We could also discuss other topics. I saw that The Institute for Engagement is developing a project on responsible digital practices., just like the Planet First Aid Certificate. The Digital and generative AI challenges are current topics that are of great interest to our schools…
Would you like to know more?
