Investing in training to recruit
To attract new skills
we need to offer career opportunities
With the Covid-19 pandemic behind it, the French aeronautical industry is back in the black and launching vast recruitment plans. But it is having trouble finding the rare skills needed to keep pace with the sudden upturn in air traffic. Competition is fierce, between the more attractive major contractors and a myriad of subcontractors weakened by the health crisis. Among the profiles in demand are specialists in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data processing and new energies.
"The challenge is to lower the level of requirements when recruiting, and then to invest even more heavily in training and mentoring", says Guy Tardieu, Chairman of OSAC. Companies are aware that they now have to systematically go through professional channels that are less familiar to the general public. "We need to make our professions more attractive again. To attract new skills, we need to offer careers", says Christel Barel, Managing Director of Camas Formation.
The time has come for partnerships. A number of agreements have been signed with manufacturers, Apave Group subsidiaries and aeronautical schools to ensure that staff skills are upgraded and cover a broader spectrum of activities, particularly in new aircraft and new operating modes combining civil and military. With its training catalogue of more than 1,000 references and its 170 training centres, Apave is well equipped to meet these challenges.
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For airports and airlines, risk management is subject to complex physical and legal constraints. This difficulty is exacerbated by the fact that recruitment needs are now considerable. "Our jobs are increasingly controlled and increasingly subject to performance tests. It is therefore essential to have well-trained agents", observes Jean-Baptiste Thélot, Managing Director of ICTS France, one of the leaders in aviation and airport security in France, present in fourteen airports.
Every year, ICTS France trains between 250 and 300 people in initial training and 1,500 employees in continuing education. The company currently uses the services of Apave, through its specialist subsidiary Camas Formation. "We signed a national framework contract, because Camas Formation's great strength lies in its very broad geographical coverage, with training centres all over France," explains Jean-Baptiste Thélot. Other features of the Apave subsidiary are its ability to source profiles, its assistance in putting together administrative files and its teaching quality. ICTS France praises the high level of equipment provided by Camas Formation, which, because of its size, is a highly integrated partner that supports its customers throughout the entire training process.
Camas/Osac Academy
The technical inspection professions are highly specialised and OSAC, like all the players in the aeronautical industry, is currently having difficulty recruiting competent personnel to fill the posts of inspector, quality manager, management system manager, methods consultant, etc. It is very difficult to find profiles that meet all the conditions required by the regulations, particularly experience. With this in mind, an academy has just been launched with Camas Formation, another Apave subsidiary. The work-linked training modules are currently being defined. The aim is to be ready to train new experts and employees from September 2024.
2 question to ...
How is Camas Formation positioned in the aerospace industry?
The company was set up in 2001 after the September 11 attacks, to provide HR departments with a toolbox to help them meet their regulatory obligations. We joined Apave in 2021, as part of our drive to expand into the aerospace industry, alongside other companies such as Oppida and Apave Aeroservices. We have around thirty training centres and operate in five main areas: safety and security, runways (baggage loading, aircraft traction), reception (ground staff, cabin crew), logistics (goods traffic, palletising, shipping, groupage, etc.) and cabin cleaning.
"A melting pot of tools".
What solutions do you propose to current recruitment problems?
We have a melting pot of tools to offer. To a greater extent than before Covid-19, we support companies in sourcing candidates through two major schemes: apprenticeships and professional training contracts. To do this, we take part in trade fairs and forge close links with local players such as local missions and Pôle emploi. We offer training courses that lead to professional qualifications and are recognised in the sector. The idea is to consolidate integration into the company and build employee loyalty, at a time when this exciting sector, which is looking for new skills, has lost some of its appeal.
Apave at the Paris Air Show 2023
Apave and all its subsidiaries will be on stand B163 in Hall 2.
Apave will also be welcoming its customers to its chalet at the foot of the slopes.
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