Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil - France

Young people without solution

Many young people are “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” (NEET), while employers are struggling to recruit for high-demand jobs. This vulnerable group requires help to find their way back to employment and receive training in the skills expected on the job market.

12.9% of young people aged 15 to 29 are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) - Insee, 2019 Employment Survey.

Training for a job that is actively recruiting

The Skola program by Apprentis d'Auteuil is designed for young people ages 16 to 30 who are facing social and economic hurdles. Skola relies on two pillars to help these young people find a job: social support, and work-study training for technical jobs that are actively recruiting.  Skola facilitates training and employment based on the needs of young people and companies.

The Air Liquide Foundation is partnering with Apprentis d'Auteuil to train 13 vulnerable but eager young people in the high-demand plumbing sector.

A tailor-made integration program

The Skola integration program is designed for a group of 13 unemployed young people experiencing hardship, with little or no qualifications. The goal is to provide them with a technical work-study course to obtain certification as a Heating and Septic System Installer within 20 months, and then help them find a job. This profession has been found to be in shortage throughout France.

What makes Skola unique is its “school” concept, which helps build cohesion and facilitate mutual support, while offering personalized guidance to each youth. An Apprentis d'Auteuil Employment and Training Integration Counselor (CEFI) will help each candidate overcome the obstacles to employment they may encounter: housing, health, mobility, etc. The CEFI also acts as a link between the candidate and the company where they work for the duration of the program. At the end of the training, the CEFI helps the candidate find a job and continues to monitor them until 6 months after they join a company.

The training will take place in 2 phases:

1. Pre-certification - 3 months

Candidates are offered guidance to overcome obstacles to employment, working on soft skills, including basic knowledge, interpersonal skills and informal rules of the workplace, while regaining their self-confidence and the desire to learn. They also learn more about their future profession as a Heating and Septic System Installer.

2. Technical training (work-study) - 15 months

The certification training is provided by the AFPA one week per month and is supplemented by Apprentis d'Auteuil, which offers learning support and soft skills training. For the other three weeks, 11 candidates are on an apprenticeship contract with Technologies Hospitalieres, a subsidiary of Air Liquide Santé France. The job of Hospital Technology Fitter is similar to the job the candidates are studying for. As such, volunteer tutors from among Air Liquide's employees will assist the candidates throughout their training to ease their transition into the working world. 

A final 2-month internship outside the Technologies Hospitalieres, is recommended.

This training offers a recognized professional title and leads directly to employment.

What the Air Liquide Foundation is doing

The Air Liquide Foundation is assisting with project engineering, while also helping to source young people for the program and support them throughout the process.

Testimonials

This is a wonderful new social support program. The project will be very demanding for all stakeholders. The challenge will be to keep these young people motivated and interested on a daily basis, while supporting them through listening and working as a team.

We are proud to be able to contribute to this amazing project, and we will be even more proud if it allows a wider group of young people to obtain professional qualifications, self-confidence, and a desire to rejoin society by getting a job.



Sarah Louguet, Human Resources Manager, Technologies Hospitalières, Air Liquide Healthcare France 

I am very happy to participate at my level in the Skola project and to pass on to Thomas my passion for the profession. He has settled in well and is always very punctual. He quickly understood the requirements and rigor of this profession, particularly in terms of safety, which will make the difference for his next hire. He will continue to improve during the year that we will spend together.

Mickael LEFEVRE, Air Liquide Santé France fitter and volunteer tutor for a student from the Skola project.