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Dacia’s socially responsible initiatives change lives

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Transport is key to accessing employment and training opportunities. Limited access to transport currently affects 7 million people in France*. To help jobseekers overcome this barrier to employment, Dacia has launched a socially responsible initiative as part of the CareMakers programme, which has transformed the lives of thousands of people since 2019. Bodonirina, Corentin and Joëlle are three individuals whose employment opportunities improved as a result of the initiative.

BY FLORENTINA DECA

Rural France is synonymous with winding roads, green fields and scatterings of houses – as well as people leading precarious existences, with limited access to transport and, by extension, employment opportunities. Fifty-four percent of people living in households with monthly incomes of less than €1,000 have turned down training or employment opportunities due to transport limitations**.  Despite living in three different French regions, Bodonirina, Corentin and Joëlle had many things in common – they were unemployed, did not qualify for a bank loan and were unable to find employment due to transport barriers. To help people like these find work, Dacia decided to launch a socially responsible initiative as part of the Renault Group CareMakers programme, enabling over 2,000 people to acquire new Dacia vehicles, some through microloans.

I lost my job around the same time as my old car broke down. As an unemployed person, I wasn’t in a position to buy another car. I heard about Dacia’s socially responsible initiative, which helped me get a new car despite my limited means.

Bodonirina

Who has benefitted from Dacia’s socially responsible initiative

Inclusive mobility to access employment opportunities

When her husband had to move for work, Bodonirina found herself living in Crosville-la-Vieille, a small village with scenic surroundings in Normandy, with no job of her own. With limited means and public transport options, she knew she was not going to find a job anytime soon. Bodonirina quickly obtained a new car through Dacia’s socially responsible initiative and found a job as a receptionist in a hotel a few kilometres away from her home.

“I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to get to work now. Public transport isn’t an option for anybody who works awkward hours. Having a car has made my life so much easier in other ways – I’m able to do my shopping, visit my family and take my two dogs with me. Everything feels brighter now,” says Bodonirina.

Mobility solutions for everyone

Like Bodonirina, 23-year-old Corentin could not look for work without a car. He lives in Estrées‑Saint‑Denis in the Oise department, around 15 km from Compiègne. Having graduated from high school in 2019, he decided not to pursue further studies and registered with a job agency. Not having a car was a great hindrance to this young man with limited means, as it meant he was spending hours on public transport and could not apply for certain jobs.

Not having a car was really getting in the way of my job search. It prevented me from applying for jobs, as many of them were in Compiègne or outside my city.

Corentin

Who has benefitted from Dacia’s socially responsible initiative

He was not in a position to buy a car – his financial situation meant he did not qualify for a traditional bank loan and could not afford a second-hand car. He registered with job agencies and came across Dacia’s socially responsible initiative, which enabled him to take out a microloan and lease a car with the option of buying it later for a relatively low price. He feels more confident now he has a new Sandero:

“I felt so relieved when I found out my application had been accepted. My little brother and I went to the dealership to pick up the car. That’s when it hit me that I was going to have my own car and that it would open up lots of job opportunities,” says Corentin.

 

A fully car-dependent job

Joëlle is a 45-year-old living in Rosporden in the Finistère department. She became unemployed when the company she was working for closed down. Completing a work placement within the ADMR network made her realise she would be interested in pursuing a career as a home care worker. However, she could not possibly meet the needs of home care recipients all across the region all day long without a vehicle. Dacia’s socially responsible initiative helped Joëlle acquire a Dacia Spring, which meant she could continue doing the job she loved while consuming less fuel.

This car isn’t just something I use to get to and from work – I use it at work too. For instance, it enables me to take patients shopping or bring them to medical appointments. Some of them live 10 or 20 kilometres away from where they need to go, so they need somebody with a vehicle.

Joëlle

Who has benefitted from Dacia’s socially responsible initiative

Help made to measure

Dacia’s helping hand is part of Renault Group’s CareMakers inclusive mobility programme, which brings together a variety of partners working for the same cause: community garages, financing organisations (including Mobilize Financial Services), volunteers, public and private organisations, and non-profits. Thanks to this complete ecosystem, the offer allows the purchase or the long-term lease with purchase option of a new Dacia vehicle.

To access it, people can take out a microloan. This is intended for people whose access to traditional bank credit is difficult or even impossible due to their personal situation (bank ban, overindebtedness, job seeker, temporary worker, RSA, fixed-term contract, minimum social benefits, etc.). The financing is granted to enable social and professional integration through access to employment or to maintain employment. The amount varies between 300 and 8,000 euros and is repayable in small monthly instalments over a period of 6 to 48 months.

Bodonirina, Corentin and Joëlle received tailored support through their Job Centre advisor, the rural home carer network or their departmental council. They prepared their application for a microloan to buy or rent a car through the Dacia’s socially responsible initiative. This programme can be combined with other government aid (scrappage premium, bonuses and other subsidies). Following review of their application, even if they are temporarily banned from using their bank accounts, applicants can buy a new car at a price that fits their budget. They can also buy a car directly at a preferential price, possibly using a microloan. The brand, in other words, is actively promoting inclusive mobility by enabling people who are ineligible for standard car-buyer loans to own a new vehicle.

Thanks to this comprehensive mechanism tailored to each applicant’s needs, throughout the programme, 50% of CareMakers beneficiaries found a job after receiving their car and the proportion of beneficiaries on permanent contracts rose from 26% à 43% after they opted into the programme**. Dacia is taking one step further in its campaign to put mobility within more people’s reach to push back against vulnerability.

Find out all about Dacia’s helping hand here!

 

*French Ministry of Labour, Employment and Integration
** 2021 Club Mobilité annual report