Energy Jobs Fair attracts more than 850 candidates

As construction starts picking up speed this summer, contractors need to build a strong work force. At the recent Energy Jobs Fair held at the Château de Cadarache on 2 June 2014, more than 1,500 on-the-spot interviews were conducted.
More than 850 job seekers, invited by the French national employment agency Pôle Emploi, gathered in the Château de Cadarache last Monday 2 June for the second "Energy for Employment" job fair.
 
As ITER construction is progressing, contractors on the ITER site are recruiting in many fields, from engineering profiles to construction workers.
 
"Construction will really start picking up speed this summer with close to 2,000 workers expected on site towards the end of the year and up to 4,000 in 2017," says Michel Claessens, ITER head of Communication. "French companies have been awarded contracts for a total value of EUR 2 billion, two-thirds of which have gone to companies in the PACA region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur)."
 
The aim of this jobs event, an initiative of the neighbouring municipalities in collaboration with Pôle Emploi, was to bring together these companies and selected jobseekers to facilitate and support local recruitment.
 
Although ITER is not the only big player in the economy of the Manosque/Aix-en-Provence area, the project's stand drew hundreds of visitors.
With 36 participating companies offering more than 300 jobs, the goal was very largely attained. Each company brought a recruiter and the long queues forming in front of each recruitment desk confirmed the interest of the job candidates, but also of the companies themselves. A total of more than 1,500 on-the-spot interviews were conducted with more follow-up interviews in the pipeline.