France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
For almost 20 years, the French construction industry has been experiencing recruitment difficulties. Why is it so difficult for the building trades to recruit new employees? Why aren't the younger generations interested in these trades? We take a look at the reasons behind the recruitment difficulties in France's construction sector.
In particular, France relies on seconded workers from Romania, renowned for their skills in these particular sectors.
But how many are there exactly?
The business of BTP have been suffering from a poor image among young people for several years now. A CREDOC report (Centre de Recherche pour l'Etude et l'Observation des Conditions de Vie) of November 2005, entitled Guidance and professionalization of young people in the building sectorhad already raised this issue to explain the growing recruitment difficulties in the building and civil engineering sector. According to this report, construction already suffered from a poor image among young people and was one of the least attractive professional sectors, even though it alone accounted for 8% of recruitment vacancies in France.
The explanation for this lack of attraction to the building and civil engineering sector is the same today: young people who turn to this sector often do so not out of passion or vocation, but because of a level of schooling deemed too low to continue in the mainstream. Similarly, unruly pupils who are not "suited" to conventional schooling are often redirected to these trades.
This is not the only reason why the younger generations have a poor image of the construction industry. Construction jobs are seen as dangerous, hard work and poorly paid, and this image sticks to them!
For too long, the French education system has neglected manual trades. As a result, the younger generations are less qualified than previous generations for this type of job, particularly in the building trades. So there's a problem in terms of the attractiveness of these trades. building tradesbut also in terms of training.
Building and civil engineering companies regret a lack of trained people in their vicinity, making it difficult to attract new talent. In fact, many construction companies use apprenticeships to make it easier to recruit new employees and train them at the same time. Another solution often adopted is to lower their requirements: they ask for a lower level of qualification and experience to find candidates more easily, as well as often higher salaries.
If construction companies are finding it hard to recruit, it's also because there are few profiles available, and therefore little choice for employers. Containment has had a negative impact on recruitment in the construction industry: many end-of-study internships and work placements could not be completed, so candidates are less qualified. This is all the more true given that the border closures have prevented the entry of foreign workers, who are important to the construction industry in making up for the shortage of labor in France. Since the end of April 2021, construction companies have found it even more difficult to find candidates. 80 % of construction companies are struggling to recruit, and 33 % of work-study contracts are not coming to an end.
Building and civil engineering observatory conducted a survey among representatives of companies in the building and public works sector. The results show that 7 out of 10 companies anticipate recruitment difficulties in the building and civil engineering sector, a proportion that has risen sharply in just 5 years. Some trades are harder to find than others, notably locksmith, bricklayer, rooferinstaller of heating and air-conditioning equipment, tiler, painter, carpenter, crane operator or carpenter.
Faced with these recruitment difficulties, construction companies are increasingly turning to a European workforce, trained in countries such as Romania with a view to moving to France. This workforce has the advantage of being both qualified and available, two qualities that are increasingly rare in France among candidates for the building trades.
France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
France and Romania have always enjoyed a special relationship, thanks to the undeniable love of the French-speaking world among a large part of the Romanian population.
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