Airbus Launches the Second Edition of the "Carnet de Vol Alternance" Initiative

Promoting professional integration in the aeronautical and space sector

Airbus is working to promote the employment of work-study trainees (students on professional training or apprenticeship contracts) in the aeronautical sectors. Along with its partners Airbus is organising a second “Carnet de Vol Alternance” operation in Toulouse, on Thursday 6th June, and in Nantes, on Tuesday 11th June. These partners comprise: GIFAS (French Aerospace Industries Association), UIMM MP (Union of Metallurgical Industries and Professions-Midi-Pyrénées region), CCI Toulouse (Toulouse Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Pacte PME (SME Pact), and MEDEF Midi-Pyrénées (French Employers’ Association).

The “Carnet de Vol Alternance” initiative will take the form of a job-dating session with 15-minute interviews/meetings. This has two objectives: to promote the professional integration of work-study students who are coming to the end of their training period, and to meet the requirements of companies in the aeronautical and space sectors in terms of recruiting highly-skilled, qualified candidates. Sixty companies will attend the second edition of the event, to meet 150 candidates who are reaching the end of their work-study programme at Airbus.

“Thanks to the Airbus work-study programme, work-study students acquire experience and skills which are transferable and adaptable to other companies in the aeronautical sector, which do not always have the structures necessary to take on and train such students,” stated Marc Jouenne, Head of Human Resources for Airbus in France. "We want to give the aeronautical sector priority in terms of recruiting these highly-qualified candidates. Through this additional support provided to work-study students, we are maximising their chances of integration. This will also allow our partners to benefit from employees trained in the key skills needed by the aeronautical world and essential for the development of our industry.”

Furthermore, following the “Carnet de Vol 2013” operation, mixed training programmes, undertaken within two companies, including Airbus, will be offered to new work-study students. On the one hand, this will allow companies to present their organisation, and on the other hand, assess potential candidates for vacancies"

Airbus currently employs over a thousand work-study students at its sites in France, in technical, support and service roles (representing in total almost 4% of its workforce – double the number of students in 2011). Upon completing their apprenticeship or professional training contract, some work-study students choose to undertake further training, and others look for employment. In 2012, Airbus, its parent company EADS and its partners recruited 80% of these students.

The “Carnet de Vol Alternance” 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.

The first edition of the “Carnet de Vol Alternance” initiative was held in Toulouse in June 2012. Airbus was rewarded for this initiative by the MEDEF and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Midi-Pyrénées in November 2012.