IAE 34, an association boosting inclusion

Going to the beach in Villeneuve les Maguelonne... a service opened by Vélomagg and provided by employees following an inclusion track every summer since 2016. They take care of everything, from welcoming vacationers and providing information, to renting bicycles, trailers, and child seats, and following up on equipment. The program is the result of a public procurement contract including a social clause launched by TaM – Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole Transports – attributed to Mécam, a workshop-project for inclusion that maintains and rents vehicles to people with low incomes. Mécam also provides advice regarding mobility.

“Our employees in the inclusion program have demonstrated their motivation. They have become more independent in terms of organization and contact with others,” says Christophe Caparros, Managing Director of Passerelles, the cooperative association that created Mécam sixteen years ago.

The action is exemplary for Collectif IAE 34, the association for inclusion through economic activity to which Passerelles belongs. It is a good way to develop jobs and increase employees’ skills. Mécam is one of the association’s main missions, uniting 80% of the people involved with Collectif IAE 34 in highly diverse business sectors, including restaurants, construction, maintenance, waste management, natural space management, and making personnel available. The program assists 2,500 people along their inclusion pathway every year.