Relocation, reindustrialization myth or reality? “Over the last twenty years, France has lost a lot of competitiveness”explains Arnaud Chouteau, employment/training director at Leem (medicinal companies). “Twenty years ago, we were the leading pharmaceutical producer in Europe. Today we are in sixth place, behind Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. There has therefore been a loss of competitiveness for France compared to its close neighbors. »
However, since the Covid health crisis, the notions of relocation and reindustrialization have been particularly highlighted. “It is true that investments are accelerating, particularly in connection with increases in production capacity of already existing lines, robotization, automation and productivity. » The figures speak for themselves, with nearly 7 billion euros of industrial investments in the period 2022-2025. “More good news, current and future projects are spread across the entire territory: Centre-Val de Loire (2.7 billion), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (1.8 billion), Hauts-de-France (1 billion) Normandy (800 million), Grand Est (700 million). Geographic diversity is a strength. »
In total, according to Arnaud Chouteau, these investments will create 5,000 direct jobs: technicians, engineers, pharmacists, quality assurance officers, etc. “For example, last year, between creations and replacements, we made 16,000 recruitments. »
What labor needs?
If investments are essential, reindustrialization also requires having all the talents in all territories. “We need to recruit varied profiles. The pharmaceutical industry brings together more than 150 professions: robotics and digital engineers, pharmacists, quality control managers, technicians, etc. The entire drug chain is concerned: research and development, production, distribution, medical information, regulatory aspects. »
For Arnaud Chouteau, “Recruitment is therefore a priority, as is training. In the medium and long term, we must guarantee the availability of the necessary training throughout the territory to meet future needs. This involves close work with schools, universities and national education, both for the identification of diplomas and for the implementation of suitable training. »
To successfully find the necessary talent, it is essential to work on several fronts simultaneously. “In the short term, it is crucial to recruit existing talent. To do this, we focus on people undergoing retraining and job seekers. We establish partnerships with the public employment service, notably France Travail and Apec, to organize various recruitment forums and meetings. In the medium and long term, we are also working on school-business relations, by organizing more than thirty events with universities and schools to reach students, but also high school students in order to talk to them about training and careers. »
One week and 150 events
The pharmaceutical industry careers week, organized from October 7 to 12, 2024, will thus be an opportunity to get as close as possible to the territories. “We are going to create 150 events across France to recruit via forums, job dating, and specific actions, particularly for people with disabilities. We are also planning around forty events focused on recruitment, organized directly in France Travail agencies. The objective is really to meet the public to explain who we are and our needs in terms of talent and recruitment. »
To find out everything about Pharmaceutical Industry Careers Week, you can quickly identify all of the events via an interactive map on https://www.entreprisesdelapharma.leem.org/.
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