The recruitment of apprentices has undergone many changes in recent years. While expectations are sometimes high, the drop in the number of applications sometimes pushes business owners to moderate their demands, or at least to question them.
In 2022, just under 2,800 new contracts were signed in the canton, barely 14 less than the previous year. A stability that the Canton welcomes. But on the side of business leaders, all is not always rosy.
“We have had a lot fewer applications over the past two years than we have had in the past,” notes Laurent Remy, head of vocational training for the Micarna Group. “We thought last year that it was due to the Covid, but this is a reason that is already less valid today.”
The importance of image
Apart from the latest repercussions of the pandemic, the agri-food group also explains this drop by the nature of the business. “It’s not a branch that is very sexy for young people today,” concedes Laurent Remy. “We are part of a large group, Migros, which is very active on social networks. But whether this activity is positive for us remains to be seen.”
Generally, it is more complicated for the trades of the second work, even certain trades of the craft industry.
It’s no secret that some jobs are more successful than others with young people. For these, the available apprenticeship places are filled in just a few weeks. “These are the technical professions, in particular IT, which are the most successful”, points out Christophe Nydegger, head of the Vocational Training Department of the canton of Fribourg.
On the other hand, some trades have trouble selling. “Generally, it is more complicated for the trades of the second work, even certain craft trades”, continues the specialist in training. “There it can happen that at the end of the school year there are still a few free places.”
As a large company, Micarna is no exception. The training offered by the agri-food group has met with unequal success. “Logistician is very fashionable today”, emphasizes Laurent Remy. “On the other hand, I would like to hire two apprentice electricians per year, and I have no applications. Already companies specializing in the field are struggling to find apprentices, it is all the more difficult for us who come second .”
Get to know the sector
In the canton of Fribourg, although enthusiasm for vocational training is decreasing, the figures remain stable. “It’s always a struggle to explain what vocational training is and what it can lead to,” laments Christophe Nydegger.
On the parents’ side, we are witnessing a desire for their children to study instead.
Thus, the problem would also come from ignorance with regard to learning. “We are witnessing on the parents’ side a desire for their children to study instead. We know that if both parents are university graduates, vocational training is less known. On the other hand, if both parents are from countries that do not do not know vocational training, the path of studies seems to them the most normal.”
The importance of the application file
In a world that has gone digital, what place do recruiters give to the cover letter? “Maybe we’re old fashioned, but we still care about it.” This could explain a certain gap between the expectations of the bosses and those of the applicants, according to Laurent Remy. “I do not believe that the young person currently realizes the importance of this application file.”
But according to him, it would be wrong to put the blame solely on the side of young people. Here again, the representative of Micarna questions this way of doing business. “Compared to the food industry, is it necessary for a young person’s application file for a production job to be complete? We must also be questioned.”
In general, we tend more and more to give importance to softskills, that is to say social skills, rather than to grades, for example. “The cover letter still has an important role to play,” says Christophe Nydegger. “It’s the front door, which will trigger either an interview or an internship or perhaps discussions for a contract.” In short, for an application file, “it is better to put too much than not enough”, concludes Laurent Remy.
Talk to young people
This is the objective of the “Start!” trade forum, which is being held at Forum Friborg until Sunday. “This is the only place where young people can have an overview of more than 200 trades”, supports Christophe Nydegger. “Universities are also present, which makes it possible to see the different training possible after an apprenticeship.”
“I have a lot of hope with this forum, I think I will fill the last training places still open”, enthuses Laurent Remy. “Every two years, we see an increase in the number of applications after the careers forum”.