Forums, company visits, immersions and direct recruitment: the agency is intensifying its actions to boost employment in Couserans.
The agency has increased opportunities to bring candidates and employers together. Three forums punctuated the year. In June, first, “Place du Taf” took over the alleys of the city center, with an open-air forum designed to be as close as possible to residents. In October, change of scale with ACDC (At the heart of skills) at the Foirail, with more companies, training centers and partners, as well as the innovative concept of the recruiter CV. “The idea is really to reach out to people, to set up these meeting spaces in the heart of cities,” explains Emeline Garcia, director of France Travail Saint-Girons.
Another highlight: company visits. EHPAD de Seix et de Fabas, Papeteries, Compagnie des Pyrénées… So many open doors to allow job seekers to get a concrete idea of the professions. “The companies played the game. They agreed to show the reality of the work, the environment, the positions. That changes everything,” underlines the director. At the same time, around forty visits were organized with Cap Emploi, for job seekers benefiting from the employment obligation. Objective: present the Entreprise Handi-engageé label and anticipate recruitment needs. The candidates, coached in advance, have become true ambassadors.
Another notable development: the agency itself is opening up more and more to employers. Stationery, personal services, nursing homes, ambulance drivers, temp agencies… Some come to present their activity on site, others recruit directly. “We want the agency to be a lively place, a place of exchange,” insists Emeline Garcia.
Stable figures
And the numbers follow. Company immersions, lasting from a few days to a month, have seen a spectacular jump: more than 270 agreements signed, an increase of almost 25% in one year. A clear indicator of shared interest between companies and candidates.
In terms of figures, Couserans remains a separate territory, administratively attached to Saint-Gaudens by INSEE, which does not simplify the estimates. It displays a reality closer to that of Ariège, with an unemployment rate estimated at around 9 to 9.5%. “Here, in Saint-Girons, there have never been extreme peaks. The data is quite stable,” observes the director. Several companies, particularly in the agri-food industry, are displaying innovative operations and boosting the sector. The industry is recruiting, like Stationery, which hired or retained several dozen employees this year.
A major obstacle remains: mobility. Little transport, isolated valleys, journeys short in kilometers but long in time. “It’s a real obstacle. Going to work, even 20 km away, can become complicated,” recognizes Emeline Garcia. To respond to this, France Travail focuses on proximity: introducing companies near you, encouraging retraining, financially supporting the start of a contract with assistance for travel, meals or accommodation.
With the upcoming move of the agency, opposite the François-Camel high school, and the arrival of a second meeting room, the objective is clear: to further intensify meeting times between companies and candidates. Result: in Couserans, employment is progressing step by step, with an overall more favorable situation than in other areas of southern Occitanie (excluding Haute-Garonne).