(Re)localization for fairness: training and skills at the heart of the challenges

Today, the problem is not quantitative, started Olivier Lluansi, holder of a chair on the decarbonization of industry at CNAM. “There are available positions, public funding, and training programs. But the real difficulty lies in the map of training programs, which does not take into account a French sociological reality: the low mobility of workers. Today, workforce planning is thought of by sectors in tension, but we forget that the French are more likely to change jobs than regions. A welder trained in Marseille will not necessarily go to work in Lille. The right approach is, therefore, to think on a territorial scale.”

This transition towards training engineering on a territorial scale has been identified by participants as a key lever to optimize the match between the supply and demand for skills. “Today, we are facing a paradox: between 60,000 and 65,000 positions remain vacant in the industry. To solve this equation, it is essential to conduct, at the territorial level, foresight exercises on medium- and long-term skills needs, integrating several parameters, such as available land and the acceptability of projects by local populations. But not all territories have this projection capacity,” continued Olivier Lluansi, citing the Lacq-Pau-Tarbes industrial territory as an example. “The issue in Dunkirk is not the same as in Lille,” confirmed Benoît Ostertag, Federal Secretary of the General Federation of Mines and Metallurgy (FGMM-CFDT). “It is essential to think in terms of employment basins and rely on prospective studies (EDEC) to anticipate the evolution of jobs and skills. However, companies must play the game of solidarity and transparency regarding their industrial strategy!”

These reflections must also take place within a framework of close collaboration among all local economic fabric actors, emphasized the various speakers: local authorities, training organizations, unions, and, of course, businesses, which must not only anticipate needs to ensure the sustainability of skills in the region but also cooperate with each other to avoid talent drain and excessive competition in a restricted employment basin.

Attracting Young Talent

Beyond the issues related to the training map, the attractiveness of industrial jobs, particularly to young people, represents another major challenge. “Today, we observe an evaporation phenomenon: we train 125,000 young people each year in industrial jobs, but half of them do not join the sector,” lamented Olivier Lluansi. Paradoxically, despite salaries being on average 20% higher than in services for equivalent qualification levels, industry struggles to attract new generations. This is primarily due to an outdated image, still associated with working conditions from another time, which hinders vocations. “Young people still perceive industry through the lens of the 1980s, while it has evolved profoundly in recent years, particularly thanks to digitalization and automation. There is a real image and communication problem regarding innovations and improved working conditions,” he added.

Another barrier lies in the organization of work in industry, which struggles to evolve at the same pace as the expectations of new generations. “Most current industrial organizations are inherited from a mechanistic model. There is a real challenge concerning work-life balance because the flexibility offered today in services is much less present in industry,” continued Olivier Lluansi. “Industry must address this issue and rethink its models through genuine social dialogue.”

The luxury industry provides an example of this ability to reinvent a model, according to Stéphanie Bertrand, Director at Capgemini Invent. “In recent decades, many discussions between social partners, businesses, and public authorities have allowed the recreation of activity in France, preserving skills and improving the image of these jobs. This dynamic has also led to rethinking the organization of work, with higher salaries, improved conditions, and greater flexibility in working hours.”

Another lever to attract more young people to industry lies in apprenticeships, highlighted Patrick Benammar, Vice President of Training and Development at Renault Group: “The renewal of apprenticeships in France has greatly contributed to recruiting and attracting young people who want to validate their place and contribution in the industrial sector.” This model plays a dual role: it ensures the transmission of knowledge between generations while creating essential training resources at the territorial level to meet the needs of local businesses.

Educational Innovation

The speakers also highlighted the challenges related to the implementation of certain training programs, notably the long development times that do not allow for quick adaptation of supply to market needs. As a result, “We observe a real disconnect between industrial cycles and training cycles,” regretted Patrick Benammar. “This situation creates a risk of job losses because the vacancies are not always filled. If recruitment difficulties persist, it could discourage companies from settling and investing in a region.”

To address this situation, experts stressed the need for a more responsive educational system and better-adapted training, such as technical bachelors, which are experiencing strong development in other countries. “While we are in a transition period where responsiveness and flexibility are essential, our higher education system needs to adapt more quickly,” notably pointed out Olivier Lluansi.

In this context, some companies are taking the initiative to create their own training programs, such as Renault, which launched ReKnow University. “We were led to create training programs around, for example, the transition to electric vehicles. We invested in machines dedicated to learning and developed courses in partnership with organizations like CNAM,” detailed Patrick Benammar. These training programs, open to people in the employment basins where Renault is located, still represent a significant investment. However, not all companies have the resources or the necessary engineering to develop their own systems. In this context, the partnership between businesses, public institutions, and training centers remains essential to structure an offer adapted to market needs.

Technological Progress

Technology remains a central lever to support these reindustrialization dynamics, and this at several levels. First, digitalization and automation optimize activities and productivity. “These advances make it possible to reintroduce industrial capacities into countries with high labor costs, such as France. They therefore contribute to engaging more efficient locations,” emphasized Patrick Benammar. At the same time, these advances also help reduce the physical strain of certain tasks by automating repetitive processes and optimizing the organization of work. In the future, artificial intelligence could also assist in all stages of production, further enhancing the efficiency of industrial chains, noted Amira El Araki, Vice President at CapGemini Invent. These developments will lead to increased demand for maintenance technicians and skilled operators, but also a need for awareness and upskilling of existing employees.

In terms of training, technology, and particularly artificial intelligence, could also play an increasingly central role, especially in facilitating the design of complete, tailor-made curricula. “Generative AI, for example, allows the creation of training programs adapted to the profile of each individual. This hyperpersonalization can accelerate training pathways,” explained Stéphanie Bertrand.

Content written by Max Morgene.