Milling, turning... "Jobs that cannot be lost"

Industrial trades are "a little hidden because we see the finished pieces, but not what happens before," observes Lona Hugues.

The student in BTS Design of Product Production Processes in Toulon (Var), best apprentice in France 2023 in machining, participated at the end of last week, in the "turning" category, in the national finals of the 48th edition of the WorldSkills competition, an all-round competition in technical professions, in Marseille.

Arts, communication and digital, construction, cleaning, plants, industry or mobility, "the goal is for everyone to be able to discover as many professions as possible," explained Arnaud Delaunay, communications director of Worldskills France, on the sidelines of the event.

Lona Hughes emphasizes the importance of these professions, "which cannot be lost. These are professions that must remain here and that must continue to be learned and loved."

Several young French people have recently distinguished themselves in this area. In mid-September, the UIMM, the Union of Metallurgical Industries and Trades, which "represents 42.000 industrial companies," issued a press release to congratulate the "historic performance" of the French Trades team at EuroSkills 2025, the European level of the competition, where it won 27 medals, including seven gold, finishing first in the national rankings.

"This magnificent victory for France highlights the tremendous commitment of young people and the excellence of work-study programs, particularly in industry," argued Hubert Mongon, general delegate of UIMM La Fabrique de l'avenir, believing that this rewarded "years of preparation and unwavering mobilization of young people, professional experts, companies and training centers."

"Young people's appetite is for luxury, digital technology, and digital technology in general," Mathieu Beaujon, head of the welding division at EDF, told AFP. But there are also young people who are interested in "concrete things, that is, I manufacture, I weld, I can see the work I've contributed to."