Safran and The Adecco Group sign strategic agreement to provide professional training to support the transformation of the aerospace industry

Paris, March 29, 2018

The "machinists' training platform for tomorrow's industry", created by an industry consortium[1] within the scope of France's Investment in the Future plan, is taking shape. The training facility originally announced in November 2016 is now under construction, and The Adecco Group pledged in March to recruit and train at least 100 students on work-study schemes at this new facility, including 50 for Safran.

The consortium was formed at the initiative of Safran to support the transformation of the aerospace industry in France and ensure that it remains competitive. It will provide professional training for students based on the creation of a platform that will train machinists adapted to tomorrow's industry, welcoming its first class later this year.

Recruiting and training talent – today and tomorrow

The creation of this new center of excellence addresses three current trends: first, companies in the aerospace sector are facing a structural lack of job candidates; secondly, the sector is not considered attractive enough by potential candidates; and thirdly, the gradual digitalization of industry means that jobs are changing and will require new skills.

To address these needs and support the transformation of the aerospace industry, The Adecco Group has joined Safran, as the exclusive employment partner in the consortium. It will contribute to the creation of this training platform by calling on its knowledge of the labor market and company requirements, as well as its expertise in recruitment and training.

The new school is located in Bondoufle, southeast of Paris, and is designed to simulate a "Factory of the Future" environment. It will feature a digital room with computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD-CAM) systems, simulated workflows, industrial operations management, an additive manufacturing (3D printing) unit, a model machining cell with robots, cobots and automated carts, an assembly unit and a production machinery maintenance unit.

Students on work-study programs will be assigned to companies that are customers of The Adecco Group for 24-month periods, including 50 at Safran companies. They will be given very flexible training, adapted to the company's requirements. These students will learn about new production methods based on networked machines, the Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, augmented reality, collaborative robots (cobots), tablets, etc. After completing this training period, students will earn a vocational certificate in metallurgical work, the CQPM (Certificat de Qualification Paritaire de la Métallurgie).

"We are seeing a lack of job candidates in the aerospace sector, especially in the greater Paris area," noted Gaël Salomon, Managing Director, Client Solutions Division at The Adecco Group. "And yet, this is a strong growth sector, with a backlog of orders equal to five years of production! At the same time, the sector is undergoing deep changes, and there is a need for professionals trained in these new disciplines. We are very proud to be teaming up with Safran to support this transformation and help bolster the competitiveness of the French aerospace industry."

Jean-Luc Bérard, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Safran, added, "This agreement is just the latest illustration of Safran's commitment to apprenticeships to help young people get professional training, and support the acquisition of the new skills needed within the scope of the trend towards Industry 4.0."