“I never imagined I would have such an experience!” Luis Pires, 27, does not hide his pride at having participated in the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, reopened at the beginning of December. This young apprentice, holder of a cabinetmaking CAP obtained from Giffard, came to lend a hand to the 2,000 roofers, stonemasons, carpenters, organ builders and other sculptors mobilized during the five years of work.
A true showcase of artisanal know-how, this gigantic project highlighted the richness of manual jobs, often neglected by students when making their career choices. “The outlook of young people, but also that of their parents, is starting to change, thanks in particular to apprenticeship,” explains Joël Fourny, president of CMA France, the network of chambers of trades and crafts. According to a barometer published in September by the Institute of Trades and the MAAF, 203,000 young people followed apprenticeship training in crafts in 2023. That is 36% more in five years!
This attractiveness is explained. Firstly because these professions recruit massively. In the building industry, 73,800 positions for heating engineers, electricians, roofers, plumbers, painters and carpenters are to be filled. In so-called manufacturing activities, 36,150 bootmakers, stained glass makers, glassmakers, leatherworkers, stone engravers, etc. are actively sought by companies. And what about bakers, butchers, fishmongers, but also bodybuilders and mechanics? “A young person who engages in one or other of these sectors is guaranteed to find work in less than six months,” says Joël Fourny.
AI takes its first steps in the sector
All these professions have also evolved in the right direction. Less physically demanding than in the past and better paid (a beginner earns between 1,600 and 1,900 euros gross per month), they are also more qualifying. If the CAP remains the entry point in 61% of cases, 20% of apprentices prepare a higher education diploma, such as BTS or master’s certificate. “There are 360 diplomas and titles to meet the current and future needs of companies. Training has evolved, it now integrates new technologies because manual jobs are becoming more and more innovative,” emphasizes Joël Fourny. Today, pastry chefs use laser cutters to slice chocolate and carpenters use 3D software to design pieces of wood. As for artificial intelligence, it is taking its first steps in the sector, in particular to eliminate the repetition of tasks.
The hand professions finally offer great career prospects in all sectors. “Many companies will be sold in the next ten years, allowing 50% of young people currently in training to become business leaders,” anticipates Joël Fourny. In artistic crafts, an embroiderer can become a sampler, then head of the workshop, and this in a small company as well as in a large house like Hermès or Chanel, both of which have created internal training schools. Welcome initiatives in the face of the decline in certain public aid. In September, following a reduction in state funding, the Institute for French Know-How was placed in safeguard procedure.
To go further:
– Artisanat.fr : the site offers 250 job descriptions with associated training.
– Compagnons-du-devoir.com : companionship allows young people, from the age of 15, to follow work-study training in 36 manual professions.
– Institut-metiers.fr : the institute offers training from CAP to Bac + 3 in the catering, automotive, woodworking professions, etc.
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