Actions to address “recruitment difficulties” at the Pop economic fair in Gard Rhodanien

Les partenaires du Pop, salon économique du Collectif, -Région, Département du Gard, CCI, EDF, Direction dépatrtementale de l'emploi, Agglo du Gard rhodanien – réunis sur scène pour l'inauguration du salon économique jeudi 26 septembre au forum de Laudun. C.B.

The Pop economic fair was held on Thursday, September 26 at the Laudun forum, with proposals to facilitate recruitment in companies in the Gard Rhodanien economic basin.

For the second edition of the Pop (Provence Occitane Proactive) business fair, which was held on Thursday, September 26 at the Laudun forum, the issue of recruitment in the Gard Rhodanien was the common thread for speakers, companies and representatives of structures working for employment. For the first time, the afternoon was devoted to meetings between job seekers and companies. "We have 17 companies present for around a hundred meetings" specified Julien Feja, vice-president of the Collectif, the group of business associations of Gard rhodanien, organizer of the event, supported by various partners – Region, agglomeration of Gard rhodanien, Department of Gard or even CCI.

"Nuclear companies are still in recruitment"

"The nuclear companies that are pulling our territory up are still recruiting"recalled Vincent Champetier, president of the Collective. In the Gard Rhodanien and in the economic basin which radiates over 50 km around. “At EDF Tricastin, there are 60 recruitments per year, with technical profiles” underlined Isabelle Martin, territorial delegate EDF Occitanie and president of the Clean tech valley. At Cyclife, an EDF subsidiary based in Codolet, specializing in the treatment and conditioning of low-level radioactive waste, “we recruit 30 people per year”.

At Orano Melox, in Chusclan, 50 people are recruited each year "in production, radiation protection and maintenance. We are looking for BTS" explains Régis Faure, deputy director of communications, present Thursday at the Pop.

Difficulties in recruiting but also “in retaining employees” recalled the president of the Gard Rhodanien agglomeration, Jean-Christian Rey, partner of Pop, on a territory lacking in notoriety, even though “the Gard Rhodanien is the leading employment area in the Gard and the second industrial site in Occitanie […] If companies choose to set up here, it is because they will find skills and human resources".

A label to improve the attractiveness of the territory

To help companies and work on territorial attractiveness, the president of the Agglo presented a new marketing and communication tool, “imagined by business leaders“, in the form of a label “la Prov’Occ", in reference to Provence Occitane, the name given to the tourist destination of the Gard rhodanien. Brochure, video highlighting the assets of the territory, individual support for employees with the implementation of “a bouquet of free and tailor-made services" are made available to companies with the aim of facilitating the establishment of future employees and their families in the Gard rhodanien.