Jean-Pierre FERRO, Director of G.E.I.Q :Professionals in the service of insertion

M. Jean-Pierre FERRO, Director of G.E.I.Q (Group of Employers for Insertion and Qualification) Fruit & Vegetables, Provence - France : “Professionals in the service of insertion” At the beginning of 2003, the first group of employers for insertion and qualification in the fruit and vegetable sector, evaluates five years of relentless work. Interview with Jean-Pierre FERRO, Director. FRUCTIDOR : The G.E.I.Q Fruit & Vegetables Provence was initiated by the Chamber of Commerce in Arles, France in order to find innovative solutions for employment in the basin. The Chamber naturally focused on the region’s main sector : fruit and vegetables. How did it begin ? Jean-Pierre Ferro : The C.F.C (the Chamber’s continuous training department) studied the needs in work-force of 32 fruit and vegetable shippers in the basin (out of 191 in the whole region of Arles). There are small structures of less than 10-15 employees. On the whole, more than 80 additional people are necessary in slack season (February) and 550 between June and September. Each year, companies hire and train seasonal workers, but they don’t always find the same persons the following year. Facing the market’s requirements (hygiene, security, etc.), needs in qualified staff increase. According to the study, the needs in staff were regular enough to consider the possibility of extending the sector’s activity on the whole year. Hence the creation of the group of employers was feasible. Sixteen companies were interested (Lombart & Silvestre, Soram Vitacroc, Européenne Fruitière …). As the target was to help youth, G.E.I.Q was created on June 15th, 1998. There are today 120 G.E.I.Q in France, but it is the first one for the fruit and vegetable sector. FRUCTIDOR : One of the G.E.I.Q’ s targets is the insertion and qualification of young people. Then you propose a training program that meets the companies’ needs ? Jean-Pierre Ferro : We target young people between 18 to 25 years old doing badly at school. The young person, salaried by the G.E.I.Q, works in member companies. He starts with a 6 months-vocational contract (including 240 hours of training), then a 2 years-qualification contract (1 200 hours of training). On the 30 months-contract, 25% of time are dedicated to training taught by the C.F.M.A (it is a training centre for jobs in the food sector, set up by the G.E.I.Q F&V Provence and in partnership with an other G.E.I.Q based in Vaucluse, France). During his vocational contract, the young person studies gesture, security, food hygiene, orders preparation and takes his lift-truck driving-test. During qualification contract, he prepares a SIL - a specialisation in fruit and vegetables - approved by the farmer’s association. The young person also earns money, about Euro 1013 a month. FRUCTIDOR : Your social mission doesn’t seem very compatible with a self-financing possibility ?

Jean-Pierre Ferro : A group like G.E.I.Q can’t live without being subsidised. It represents a national label delivered each year and it is not a way to supply labour-force at low cost. The company pays Euro 10,90 per hour. It includes the young guy’s remuneration all through the year, including training, paid holidays and a small part of the structure’s costs (indeed, the group employs 2 full-time workers). The regional Council also gives to G.E.I.Q an annual subvention. FRUCTIDOR : Such a group should attract young people as much as member companies. Could you sum up the advantages for each of them ? Jean-Pierre Ferro : Since we established on June 15th, 1998, we had 300 contracts of employment and an average number of 30 employees in each session. Some young people stay just 1 hour, 1 day or 1 month, but sometimes some of them persist and work in 5 or 6 different companies, having different colleagues while acquiring professional reflexes. FRUCTIDOR : The member companies are rivals. The process may not be easy to accept ? Jean-Pierre Ferro : Yes indeed, the fact all these companies agreed to join in G.E.I.Q is exemplary. Despite there are many advantages and staff exchange generates dynamism within the sector, constraints for companies appear clearly. Adhesion is a real commitment for companies : they must accept that young people go for training at least once a month and hours beyond 39 hours a week are not allowed. Within the company, a guardian has to be named to welcome and support the young trainee all through his stay. FRUCTIDOR : Today, 23 member companies take part in G.E.I.Q Fruit & Vegetables Provence. What are your plans ? Jean-Pierre Ferro : We are currently studying the setting up of the 35 hours-week within the group, but it is quite difficult as some companies don’t want to reduce working time. We haven’t find a solution yet. On other side, we created a year ago a temporary employment agency for insertion called ETTI and we will soon set up a group of employers. These three elements all together will allow us to offer wider employment opportunities.