these apprentices who have gold in their hands and around their necks

This Thursday, November 21, 2024, in front of the big screen and the red armchairs of the Le Grand Club cinema in Mont-de-Marsan, it will be their evening, and that of their comrades who have excelled through their apprentice careers. Lydie Etchart won the gold medal from the Best Apprentices of France in Lyon, in June 2024, in the discipline of floral art. Titouan Lanibois obtained the same award in automobile mechanics.

Both recently turned 18, with gold in their hands, and the desire to go further. “It’s additional experience and a nice line on the CV,” explains Lydie. Plus, I went to Lyon. As someone who is rather shy, it opened me up. »

For Titouan, in addition to extending the list of his experiences, it is also “a personal satisfaction” which allowed him to “measure himself against others, to know my level”. The native of Haut-Mauco divides himself between weeks of classes at the CFA in Mont-de-Marsan and periods of work at the Volkswagen garage in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont.

“A challenge to take up”

His gold medal is a real source of pride, especially since when he entered the competition in May 2024, he was in the second year of Bac pro and had not yet tackled anything related to fault detection on cars, while a test is dedicated to this.

“It was our teacher, Mr. Buston, who suggested that we participate,” he recalls. I said to myself that it was a challenge to take on,” and that’s what he did brilliantly. For him, seven very specific events were on the program, for the departmental, regional and national selections. Each time, an examiner remained by his side throughout the test.

“We always have a guide, and we have to explain what we are doing. You have to dismantle and reassemble an engine, for example,” explains Titouan Lanibois. Once the departmental and regional gold medals were in his pocket, he left for Mulhouse with his teacher, in order to win national gold, which he obtained thanks to an average above 18.

Subjects imposed

For her part, Lydie Etchart got a good education in the company in which she is an apprentice. At Histoire de fleurs, in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, boss Damien Thuaud participated in the French Florists' Cup, and Dylan Decamp, employee, won the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2023. A blue-white collar hard-won red, which pushes him to transmit all the details and finesse of his know-how.

Now a professional florist, she likes to work on creativity, both in the store in which she works and during the competition. She also won gold, but in Lyon, even though she didn't believe it at first. “We had four compulsory subjects, I thought I wasn’t going to succeed,” she admits today.

Lydie and Titouan have found their way and are each trying to achieve excellence. They were also able to benefit from the Erasmus programs offered to apprentices. Titouan was able to spend two weeks in Sweden, “in the Volkswagen company as well,” he relishes. And after two weeks in Valencia in Spain last year, Lydie will be able to discover the Netherlands for two weeks this year. The future seems strewn with roses for these two.

The godmother of the evening will be Stéphanie Barneix, this Thursday, November 21, from 6 p.m., at the Le Grand Club cinema in Mont-de-Marsan. Information: cma-nouvelleaquitaine.fr