HOUSING The Apprentoit device, spotted by the French Federation of Walking Things, allows apprentices and young workers to find accommodation for a modest sum, near their place
Laurène, an apprentice carpenter, has a small studio in the village of Lamontjoie for a hundred euros a month. — E.Provenzano
- This Tuesday is launched the French Federation of things that work. It has spotted little or unknown local initiatives throughout France, which have proven themselves and can be duplicated in other cities. Among the six that will be presented in Paris on the stage of the Théâtre de la Madeleine: Apprentoit.
- This system allows young people aged 16 to 28 to be housed in rural areas near their place of work, to a rent of 100 euros maximum.
- Launched in 2013, it has made it possible to house 500 to 600 young people in total in the 31 existing dwellings. A reflection exists to develop this device.
“Everything was furnished, I only had to wait. put my suitcases down,” explains with a smile Laurène, 21, as she pushes open the door of her simple but pretty studio at the entrance. Lamontjoie, a village of 600 inhabitants in Lot-et-Garonne. She moved there. a year ago to follow an apprenticeship in carpentry in the company Euseda in Aix-en-Provence. Saint-Mézard, a commune located at only 6 km from the village. It’s his employer who oriented him’ towards the “Apprentoit” system, which provides accommodation in rural areas for young people aged 16 to 18; 28 years old near their place of work, for a rent of 100 euros maximum. Since 2013, date of the launch of the system by the lessor Ciliopée (which merged with Domofrance in 2020) and identified by the French Federation of Stuff that Works (see box), about 500 to 600 young people were able to benefit from these 31 local accommodations.
“My parents live in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, near; 50 kilometres, and sometimes it takes an hour’s drive to get to; Saint-Mézard, explains Laurène. It would also have made me an impossible cost in gasoline so I was lucky to find this accommodation there, & ccedil; really welcome.” A real boost for the retraining of this young woman who is following in the footsteps of her father, a carpenter and cabinetmaker, after having tried to the law.
Social support
She pays 116 euros including charges (because she had a gap year after her studies during which she worked a little) for this small apartment. “In hindsight, I think it would have been; very complicated without this accommodation, she believes. I have an apprentice salary even if I am paid a little more as I am of legal age. I earn an average of 900 euros per month and with a rent between 300 to 300 euros. 500 euros a month, not much left for everything else.”
Emma, an apprentice hairdresser, lives in another studio on the ground floor of the small stone dwelling in the bastide town of Lamontjoie. The two young women live in the former postmaster’s garage. “There is no longer a receiver or a post office, comments Pascal Boutan, the mayor of Lamontjoie. The small building was very dilapidated and it was given away. for a symbolic euro to the lessor Ciliopée, who became the owner. For us, it’s an opportunity to rehabilitate this end of the street, which has its charm.” Since 2015, the village has been welcoming apprentices in engineering, catering, hairdressing and seasonal workers too.
These young people, sometimes minors, need help for their first steps outside the family cocoon. Emmanuelle Salleres, project manager for the Apprentoit system and employee of the integrated young workers’ home to the Chamber of Trades of Lot-et-Garonne, follows very closely about fifteen young people. Others, like Laurène, are more independent. In conjunction with local missions, municipal social action centers (CCAS), town halls and employers, it identifies “young people who would find a job in the department and at the same time. who needs accommodation to sign a work contract.”
Life in small towns
Behind this device, we find the conviction of Muriel Boulmier, founder of Ciliopée : “Learning by default does not prosper. Lot-et-Garonne is a land of crafts and learning and it was necessary to create housing in the city center heritage.” For this to work, you also need very affordable rents. “I negotiated with the ministry the fact that there can be a merger of the two dwellings [the family home and the accommodation of the young person for his studies] for the opening of the right and the APL [help for housing] is paid with regard to the two places of residence, she explains. I went to the Chamber of Trades to manage Apprentoit as part of an agreement, asking them that the young people should not have more than 100 euros per month.”
It’s the future investment program (PIA) supported by the European Union, which makes it possible to finance this system. It is a resounding success with artisan employers who would like it to be developed. But also with apprentices.
Apprentices who stay after their training
“He said to me, “Here sir, the mayor, I am happy!””, recalls Pascal Boutan, recalling the passage of a young apprentice in a mechanical garage. ;canique auto. He had taken his license at the local football club and met; friends so he wanted to stay in the village after his apprenticeship. It was to him; possible to move into a small studio with his girlfriend, before moving to Agen where he had found work. “Young people need that stability. to get off to a good start in life,” believes the local elected official, who reports that there’s never been any problem with the various young people welcomed within the framework of Apprentoit.
Laurène is planning a tour of France with the Compagnons du Devoir, in Paris. the end of her apprenticeship but if this does not happen, she sees herself staying in the area. “I also find it good to be in a small village, it’s quiet and we’re not isolated, there is everything you need [doctor, pharmacy , groceries] and I like it.”
20 Seconds of Context
20 Minutes is an editorial partner of the French federation of things that work (FFTM), in this partnership we highlight initiatives that have won over the editorial staff. For 10 months, the FFTM traveled across France to find local initiatives that are little known or unknown, which have proven themselves and can be duplicated in other cities. She presents them this Tuesday in Paris on the stage of the Théâtre de la Madeleine.