A response to the needs of regional companies in the sector: creation of a railway and mobility school

There are many regional projects related to the railway sector (such as the high-speed line works near Montpellier). The EFMO's goal is to train specialists. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

A school without walls, it relies on training organizations established in Occitanie, which will have to concoct a tailor-made program according to the needs related to the projects, such as the high-speed line, the development of TER or even the future SERM.

This is an unprecedented response to the major railway projects that Occitanie is expected to host in the coming years. Projects that include high-speed lines (particularly between Montpellier and Perpignan), the development of the TER network and the future Metropolitan Regional Express Services (SERM).

To meet these deadlines, various economic partners in the region are launching a brand new dedicated establishment: the Occitanie School of Railways and Mobility (EFMO). Through this initiative, the Occitanie Region, the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Occitanie), the Purple Campus training network, the Rectorate, the AFPA, as well as the main companies in the sector (OcVia, Equans, ETF, to name but a few) intend to “respond to several priority issues” in a “key sector”.

“A strong dynamic in the region”

Indeed, “rail and urban mobility are experiencing strong momentum in the region, driven by major projects such as the arrival of the two high-speed lines (new Montpellier Perpignan line and the Major South-West rail project, Editor's note), fine services and infrastructure regulations”.

However, these projects must face a challenge: the shortage of qualified labor. “There is a context of strong expectations from companies in the sector with a need for jobs, which is based on a need for mobility”, insists Jean-Luc Gibelin, vice-president of the Occitanie Region for mobility and transport infrastructure. “We want to provide answers to urgent situations for companies and people in professional retraining or looking for a career”, adds Michel Laclautre, EFMO project director.

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Two professional baccalaureate courses scheduled for September

The school, which will have an administrative headquarters at the Purple Campus in Pérols (Hérault), will rely on several training centers in the CCI Occitanie training network, in Nîmes, Béziers, Toulouse, Albi and Tarbes. A first training session has also been launched with the IUT of Nîmes, it will train specialists in railway signaling. With a diploma at bac + 2, bac + 3 level.

Two other training courses are also scheduled for the next September school year: one in Marguerittes (Gard) and one in Béziers (Hérault). “These are two professional baccalaureates in Signaling and Catenaries”, specifies Jean-Luc Gibelin. The EFMO's objective is ambitious, it is to succeed in training 900 apprentices by 2032.

The region “suffers from a high unemployment rate”

Companies are very attentive to this initiative. They also form one of the three colleges, which make up the board of directors of the association that supports the school, with institutions and training organizations. “We are already working with the IUT of Nîmes to welcome students to our infrastructure for their training, but we wanted to go further and reach more professions”, explains Gilles Rakoczy, CEO of OcVia, which manages and maintains the Nîmes Montpellier rail bypass.

He adds: “beyond the rail sector, it is an economic issue for the Mediterranean arc, which suffers from a particularly high unemployment rate compared to the rest of the Occitanie region. This is why we have decided to fully commit to the development of the EFMO”. “We are not in the Occitanie region, but we are attentive to the various projects that are developing there”, adds Jean-Luc Mauvoisin, general manager of OMNIFER, a company specializing in railway expertise services, based in Redon (Ille-et-Vilaine), present at the official launch of the EFMO, Monday December 16.