In a context marked by the health crisis and the acceleration of the digital and environmental transformation, particularly affecting the aeronautics sector, industriAll Europe and Safran have reached a European agreement which will allow jobs to be saved by means of the development of skills and safeguarding of career paths.

This agreement applies to all the employees of the Group in the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It sets out common principles that act as a reference framework for all the companies in the Group, with the objective of developing and maintaining skills at the highest level, stimulating career development and guaranteeing employability for all.

It is based on the anticipation of skills needs, training and the support of professional mobility. The agreement fixes, for the first time, a quantitative objective for training. Finally, in case of difficulties which may have consequences for employment, measures for adjustment and support will be put in place in order to encourage the job retention of the employees.

The access to training for all and the transformation of the company into an enabling environment for the acquisition of new skills are identified as essential elements for the safeguarding of career paths. The agreement also underlines the importance of utilising slack periods to train employees.

«We are committed to supporting all our staff in Europe with training, especially regarding the two major issues for our professions that are digital transformation and energy transition», emphasised Stéphane Dubois, Safran Group Director, Head of Human Resources and Social Responsibilities.

The signing of this agreement is a strong sign of the Group’s willingness to guarantee the development of skills and safeguarding of career paths in a particularly uncertain environment, but it will have to prove itself at local level. «This agreement contains ambitious provisions to improve the employability of all of Safran’s staff and to support and safeguard their professional development. However, it must now be applied on the ground by local management and social partners. It is only at the level of its practical implementation on the ground that we will be able to appreciate the true added value of this agreement», added Isabelle Barthès, Deputy General Secretary of industriAll Europe.

The agreement is in line with the European Pact for Skills for Aerospace and Defence launched on 16 November 2020.