The French aeronautics industry is looking to the future with thousands of positions to be filled
Aircraft manufacturers' order books are full for the coming years. "Airbus has almost 10 years of production ahead of it." Recruitment in aviation is in the thousands, but this figure is not to be considered at the global level. Indeed, these professional opportunities are to be seized everywhere in France. After a year 2020 marked by almost empty skies and deserted airports, today the assembly lines are no longer idling. Proof that the dark page of covid is now well turned.
Philippe Dujaric, director of social affairs and training at the French Aeronautics and Space Industries Group (Gifas), also says that 2022 was "the first year of a big recovery in recruitment". And since the beginning of 2023, announcements from aeronautics leaders have been moving in the same direction.
The resumption of air traffic activity, but also the increase in defence budgets around the world, are pushing the sector to undertake ambitious programmes. In this respect, labour needs are following this growth dynamic.
- Airbus has announced in its recruitment plan more than 13,000 new hires worldwide, including 3,500 new employees in France.
- The Safran group wants to hire 12,000 people, including 4,500 employees in France after a year 2022 marked by 17,000 recruitments.
- Thales has set a similar forecast, with a desire to expand its workforce by 12,000 employees worldwide in 2023, including 4,000 new jobs and around half of the recruitments in France.
- Finally, Dassault Aviation and the aeronautical equipment manufacturer Daher are following suit, even if hiring is closer to 1,000 people.
This brings the sector to forecasts of some 15,000 positions to be filled, from engineering to production to maintenance.
Recruitment for professions that are constantly evolving and facing new challenges
The specialties sought are diverse: civil and military aircraft, helicopters, propulsion systems, equipment, maintenance, etc. Industrial, craft or scientific professions with future challenges around the decarbonisation and digitalisation of the aviation sector. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, but also the exploitation of new energies, so many evolutions and transformations to come in civil aviation or defence.
Between job dating and work-study courses, the cutting-edge aeronautics professions welcome candidates from all backgrounds: with or without experience, young graduates, people in professional retraining, from CAP to Bac + 8.
To alleviate any recruitment difficulties, GIFAS has set up a website to list all current job offers in the field of the aeronautical industry: laerorecrute.fr.
Staff shortages could put a damper on the sector's growth. France knows how to design all the most complex parts of an aircraft. This represents a world-renowned know-how. Recruitment is therefore a major challenge for entire sectors of the economy.