Airbus receives work-study trophy

The “Carnet de Vol Alternance” initiative rewarded

29 November 2012 Press Release

The European plane-maker, Airbus, received the Work-Study Trophy in the large company category on 29^th November in Toulouse. This prize was given by the MEDEF – the French Employers’ Association – and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Midi-Pyrénées (CCI MP), to reward the “Carnet de Vol Alternance” initiative taken by Airbus to promote the professional integration of its work-study students at the end of their training.

The first edition of “Carnet de Vol Alternance” was held in Toulouse on 19^th June in partnership with the UIMM MP (Union of Metallurgical Industries and Professions-Midi-Pyrénées region) and DIRECCTE (Regional Directorate for Enterprises, Competition, Consumption, Work and Employment) with the backing of the “Pacte PME” (SME Pact) and the CCI MP. It took the form of a job-dating session with 15-minute interviews/meetings. This allowed 70 young people who were completing their professional training or apprenticeship contract at Airbus, and were looking to start a job, to be put in touch with more than 40 companies in the UIMM MP and Pacte PME networks that were looking for skills.

“We are very proud to have received this prize, rewarding one of our initiatives,” declared Marc Jouenne, Director of Human Resources for Airbus in France. “Through this additional support provided to work-study students at the end of their training, we are maximising their chances of integration. This will also allow our partners to hire employees trained in the key skills needed by the aeronautical world and essential for the development of our industry. To date, 76% of the 2012 Airbus work-study graduates who were looking for a job have found one,” he added.

This initiative enters into the framework of the agreement to develop Work-Study schemes signed by Airbus with the French Ministry for Apprenticeship and Vocational Training in February 2012. With this agreement Airbus has committed itself, among other things, to bringing the number of work-study trainees up to more than 5% of the workforce on its sites in France by 2015/2016, and to helping them enter the workforce in the corresponding job markets.

Work-study schemes are developing strongly at Airbus: currently, Airbus has more than 930 work-study trainees working at its sites in France (nearly 4% of its headcount), which is more than double the number it had in 2011. Forty-five percent of them are preparing an Engineering Masters 1 degree; 27%, a degree and 28%, a CAP vocational training certificate / Baccalaureate level diploma.

“Carnet de Vol Alternance” was particularly appreciated both by the work-study trainees and the recruiters. Furthermore, the initiative has just been taken up by another major industrial company. This scheme will be prolonged next year by Airbus and EADS in Toulouse in particular, and launched in Loire Atlantique for the Nantes and Saint-Nazaire sites, as well as on the Eurocopter sites in the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur and Paris Regions.