French fund to retrain foundry workers in the auto sector

As part of an updated action plan to support changes in the automobile sector announced in May 2020, France launched a EUR 50 million fund in April 2021 to retrain foundry factory workers as it shifts its internal combustion-based automotive industry toward the production of electric vehicles. The French government will contribute EUR 30 million and car manufacturers Renault and Stellantis will contribute EUR 20 million. France currently has 355 foundry factories employing about 30 000 workers, with half of them linked to the automotive industry. A prospective study by the French metallurgy observatory on jobs and skills in the automotive sector will be complemented by an analysis of the skills gaps between declining jobs and new jobs, in order to offer tailored training to employees who may suffer job losses, with a specific focus on regional and local employment workforce dynamics. The support measures are planned until 2023, and will be implemented by France’s unemployment agency, Pôle emploi. As part of the broader plan for employment in the sector, the government also proposed the establishment of four new campuses for automotive skills. 

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