Skip to content

02/04/2019 Press release

Usin’Eure, the First "Ecole de production" for Metalworking in Evreux, France

Evreux, April 3, 2019 – Usin’Eure, Normandy’s first "Ecole de production" (Production School) for metalworking, has opened on the premises of nonprofit organization Education et Formation at 63, Rue de Rome, le Bois des Communes, Evreux. Ten students, aged 15 to 18, have been preparing the two-year professional skills certificate (CAP) in production systems operation there since October 2018. Two-thirds of their training time (i.e., 24 hours per week) is devoted to producing mechanical parts for manufacturers in the region.

To implement the “learning by doing” approach championed by "Ecoles de production", a brand-new, fully equipped machining workshop covering 1,000 square meters was purpose built by Education et Formation, the Eure region’s employer federation of metalworkers (UIMM) and Normandy’s regional council, which were at the origin of the project. A €2.5 million investment was needed to secure optimal learning conditions and inspire teenage girls and boys, most of whom had difficulties at school, to train for jobs in industry, which offers employment and career development opportunities. Students work involves filling real orders, which are sold to customers in real market conditions. Through this practical experience, they learn to master the skills required for these jobs as well as company codes of conduct, while gaining real workplace knowledge.

With more than 1,500 companies and their 40,000 employees, Eure is the eighth most industrial region in France; yet the insufficient value placed on jobs in industry, like those in metalworking, make it difficult to attract young people. There is a significant need for new hires in the coming years, which guarantees the employability of students with Usin’Eure diplomas.

The project would not have been possible without the Ecole de production-Fondation Total partnership as well as support from the UIMM A2i fund, Fondation la France s’Engage, the Evreux Portes de Normandie conurbation and Normandy’s regional council. The "Ecole de production" network’s nationwide 90% exam pass rate and nearly 100% employability convinced Normandy’s regional council to help set up and run at least one school in each of its departments. It aims to open a total of ten schools by the end of its current term in office. Commenting on the announcement, the President of Normandy’s regional council, Hervé Morin, said: “The Normandy regional council intends to invest in this new youth-training tool, as a supplement to existing tools, in order to address youth unemployment more effectively. We will therefore fund the Usin’Eure investment project to the amount of €350,000, with a further €109,000 for running costs in 2019 and an annual €150,000 thereafter.”

Total, a Major "Ecoles de production" Patron

As part of its commitment to youth inclusion and education, Fondation Total supports “Vision 2028”, a program aiming to increase the number of "Ecoles de production" across France from 25 to 100 over the next ten years.

Manoelle Lepoutre, Senior Vice President, Civil Society Engagement at Total, said: “It is our conviction that companies like ours must be involved in supporting our host communities and youth. The assistance and financial support we offer "Ecoles de production" is providing a real boost to their expansion. Usin’Eure is the first industry-specific "E set up with our support and we are very happy for each student who leaves this school equipped with a qualification.”

"Ecole de production" training programs have been accredited by the French State since their inclusion in the French law for the career freedom, passed on September 5, 2018.

***

About the Federation of "Ecoles de production" and their “learning by doing” approach

The 26 "Ecoles de production" in France train students for vocational qualifications in fields such as construction, manufacturing, automotive engineering, foodservice and digital technology. Courses are designed for all young people aged 15 and over, including those who found it difficult to adapt to school and traditional learning methods. "Ecoles de production" operate on the basis of two-thirds practice and one-third theory, all on the same premises. During the practical phase, the trainees are not apprentices but students in the "Ecole de production", which recreates the real-life working conditions of a company. The students, assisted by their trainers, are put in real-life production situations, and the products they make are sold to customers, which creates ties with the world of business.

About Fondation Tota

Total Foundation encompasses citizenship initiatives carried out every day worldwide by Total’s sites, affiliates and corporate foundation. Through this program, the Group aims to contribute to the development of its host communities and regions. Total Foundation focuses its actions on young people in four priority areas: road safety, forests and climate, youth inclusion and education, and cultural dialogue and heritage.

Contacts:

Patrick Carret
Managing Director – Ecoles de production
+33 (0)6 22 62 20 73 – [email protected] 

François Rossignol
Education and Training Director
+33 (0)6 73 87 68 03 – [email protected]

Pierre de la Moissonnière
Project Manager – Eure UIMM
+33 (0)2 32 38 71 73 – [email protected]

Laure Wattinne
Press Agent – Communications Manager – Normandy Region
+33 (0)2 31 06 78 96 – +33 (0)6 44 17 55 41 – [email protected]

Total – Media Relations
+33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 – [email protected] | @TotalPress