Qualified young recruits from France

The Simon Lazard vocational college in Saargemünd, France, trains specialist staff for the baking sector. As a result of soundly-based training, the graduates have very good prospects in the employment market.

+T he French town of Saargemünd, also called Sarreguemines by the Sarregueminois residents, is located around 20 km south of Saarbrücken. The Simon Lazard vo cational college is situated in Sarreguemines, and offers a wide variety of training courses. For example, students can train as geriatric nurses, logistics specialists or businesspeople, but specialist staff for the baking sector are also trained here. In contrast to Germany, for example, vocational training in France takes place mainly through vocational schools or a vocational college. This means that trainees, after regular general schooling, train their skills for a total of three years under the guidance of specialist teachers, and there is also a theoretical component in addition to practical training. Sub jects such as Natural Science, English or Sport are also on the timetable. Depending on the skilled profession, it c ontains practical work together with background knowledge about the technology and applied sciences, as well as the top ics of law and company management.

The total of three years of training includes a 22-week practical course completed by the students in a factory, e.g. a bakery or confectioner’s. This total of 22 weeks of practical training is distributed over the three years of training. For this, the school has good contacts with food companies and factories in the baking sector, and assists the students in their search for a practical placement.

Professional environment

In this respect, training in France already has certain similarities to other countries, or even to the Dual System in

Germany. However, due to intensive support at the vocational college, trainees in France acquire a broad range of skills. For example, whereas the skilled trained professions of confectioner or baker exist in Germany, training in France encompasses both professions. On top of that, there are also elements of a chef’s training. The students also show that this combination is effective through successful participation in international performance competitions of the baker’s craft, as they did recently at the iba trade fair in Munich, or also through regular participation in competitions during the südback trade fair in Stuttgart and in other competitions.

To ensure that the students receive professional, practiceoriented training under the guidance of the specialist tutors, the Simon Lazard College also has a fully-equipped bakery in addition to a complete kitchen and a restaurant. The vocational college cooperates in this respect with the German plant constructor DEBAG in Bautzen. Thus various ovens, as well as proofers and refrigeration units made by the German plant constructor can be found in the college’s bakery. As DEBAG’s International Sales Manager Georg Schulze explains: “We are happy to support the specialist college with our professional equipment.” That’s how the vocational students get to know the plant constructor’s products on the one hand, and on the other the students support the company, e.g. during trade fair appearances.

Altogether, Sarreguemines graduates have very good prospects. After their training, many of the students start as qualified professionals in bakeries or confectioner’s, as well as in catering establishments or in hotels. Companies in the upstream supplier industry are also happy to employ graduates from Sarreguemines, and are pleased with the qualified young talent from France. +++