This meeting aimed to inform and attract young people about the possibilities of engagement within the army reserves, the police and the gendarmerie.
A need for reservists for a complementary force
The forum, centered on the National Guard, a grouping of army, gendarmerie and police reserves, aims to respond to a rise in the power of French security forces. Created in 2015 following the attacks that shook France, the National Guard is now seeking to double its numbers by 2030. Today, we have approximately a little over 40,000 reservists in the armed forces. We must increase to 80,000 by 2030 », explains Lieutenant-Colonel David Bernasconi.
The target audience is mainly made up of young people, from the age of 17. “ This is what primarily interests us », He specifies, adding that certain older and qualified profiles, particularly in technical fields such as cybersecurity, are also welcome. He underlines the importance of attracting young people to guarantee the future of this complementary force: “ The young people who come are young people who are looking to give meaning to their lives, to do something for others. » The experience in the reserve is also an opportunity to “ test yourself », and why not, then switch to a full-time career.
Conditions of engagement and a range of professions
Joining the reserve, whether in the army, police or gendarmerie, requires meeting certain criteria. “ You must be of French nationality, at least 17 years old, enjoy your civil rights, and be medically fit », recalls Lieutenant-Colonel Bernasconi. This commitment is not immediate: a selection process is put in place to evaluate candidates on these different points and guarantee their ability to join the National Guard.
This need for reinforcement is crucial, particularly in the gendarmerie, where Frédérik Sauge-Merle, commander of the Jura departmental gendarmerie group, highlights the recruitment challenges: “ We have a permanent shortage of around 4.5% of our workforce, or around 25 gendarmes in Jura. » The reserve thus makes it possible to fill these gaps while offering a first contact to young people interested in uniform professions.
For his part, the departmental director of the national police, Bertrand Pic, highlights the importance of this direct link with the population and the need to attract more young people to the police. “ There are fewer and fewer candidates for the competition than there were a few years ago, despite a constant need. The job market being favorable to young people currently, we are in competition with other sectors “, he explains. The diversity of missions within the police nevertheless represents a wide range of career paths. “ There are many jobs in the police; you can do public security, work in the judicial police, become a trainer… there is a real diversity of choices “, he continues.
A diversity of profiles and missions
Young people interested in this commitment can choose from several specialties depending on their profile, whether they are students, employees, or simply looking for experience. “ When you are a reservist in the army, police or gendarmerie, you have access to training, remuneration, and a certain number of benefits », Explains the Lieutenant-Colonel. The training and duration of commitment vary, adapted to each person's availability. “ We can be called for operational missions like Sentinel », he explains, recalling that nearly 2,000 reservists were mobilized last summer among the 15,000 soldiers deployed to secure events.
As for the local forces, the missions of the police and the gendarmerie complement each other to cover the entire territory. “ The police intervene in towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants, such as Lons-le-Saunier, while the gendarmerie is present in the rest of the territory. », specifies Bertrand Pic. This reserve system, recent for the police, is in full expansion. “ We have 19 reservists for 160 police officers in Jura. It's not much, but the system is young, in two years, attracting 19 reservists is already a big step forward », notes the departmental director of the national police.
A forum set to evolve
Faced with this first edition which did not quite meet expectations, Lieutenant-Colonel Bernasconi is already planning adjustments. “ I am going to consider a partnership with schools so that students can come supervised during the week. This could improve participation. » He also plans to repeat the event in Dole and Saint-Claude to reach a wider audience.
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