The artisans are confident for the start of the school year

"The craft industry is going well, but the world is still fragile," said Joël Fourny at the opening of the CMA back-to-school press conference. "We are entering a period of transition (...) during which we must be extremely vigilant," he added.

More than three quarters of craftsmen believe that their activity "will stabilize or even improve" in the next six months, according to a Qualitest survey carried out in August among 2.000 craftsmen for CMA France. An increase of nearly 13 points compared to the spring.

CMA France will be "cautious" about the end of the support mechanisms put in place to deal with the crisis linked to the pandemic: "some sectors still remain fragile and it will be necessary to keep the necessary arrangements to allow them to get through this period" , warned Mr. Fourny.

Other obstacles to the resumption of activity are also on the radar of craftsmen: the risks of labor shortages, which persist and push CMA France to "work on recruitment and support for recruitment", in particular through "learning".

Craftsmen in the construction and industrial production sectors are also particularly exposed to problems of supply and costs of raw materials.

Finally, CMA France promises to remain vigilant on cash flow issues. Not only on the repayment of loans guaranteed by the State, requested by around 20% of craft businesses, but also for those who did not use them and drew on their own funds, "which weakened their cash flow" , stressed Joël Fourny.

The challenges of the start of the school year: transmission, digital technology and training

The usefulness of the CMAs is more than ever a reality since it emerges very clearly that ¾ of the craftsmen questioned are satisfied with the support of the CMA, and those who are not wish first to have more contact with their chamber. . The expectations of artisans are growing: even more frequent contacts with local chambers and support in the face of difficulties and in the search for funding.

“The crisis has accelerated the need for advice and support for craft business leaders. Craftsmen tell us they need answers that are even more specific and adapted to their situation. This is the whole issue of regionalization, a major reform that the network has carried out to improve the quality of service as close as possible to craftsmen in all regions ”, specifies Julien GONDARD, CEO of CMA France

Among the development priorities of craft businesses, digital has risen to the forefront, because the crisis has accelerated awareness of the challenges of digital technology but also of the practical use of these new tools. Sustainable development continues to feature at a high level of interest, which shows that many artisans increasingly wish to be part of this ecological transition.

Two other priorities emerge in this new school year: training and transmission.

Craft companies offer opportunities to fight against youth unemployment, to train for a passionate profession and to give meaning to their work, even to their life. Craftsmanship is more than ever the royal road to becoming a business leader.

The CMAs record an employment integration rate of 80% within 7 months after graduation, and intend to do even better in 2021. 100 young people are trained each year, through the 000 CFAs of the CMA network, all of them Qualiopi certified, and thanks to all partner training organizations. Not to mention the 137 adults trained in 130, including 000 job seekers. Learning for CMAs is a lifelong cycle, for all generations.

“A major challenge for this 2021 school year: the training of apprentices over the next 6 months. ¼ of craft businesses say they are ready to welcome one or more apprentices. The food and construction sectors are at the forefront of the subject of apprenticeship training ”, according to Joel FOURNY, president of CMA France.

Training is a real lever to compensate for the lack of qualified labor that companies encounter today. Many trades are in tension, 8% of companies, nearly 130 companies are to be taken over in the next two years, a situation which paralyzes the development of some companies.