CERN apprenticeships honoured at the Cité des Métiers


Florian Métral, an electronics apprentice at CERN, accepting his prize at the award ceremony.


CERN's exhibition stand at the Cité des Métiers et des Formations.

CERN has just taken part in the Cité des Métiers et des Formations for the first time. This job and training fair, designed to assist both young people and adults in their choice of profession, training or career change, was held at Palexpo, Geneva's main exhibition centre, from 13 to 19 November. CERN had its own stand, where the Laboratory's activities and its many different trades and training opportunities were on display. Throughout the week and the weekend, a series of guides and members of the HR Department took it in turns to present CERN and the wide range of training it offers students and apprentices.

Apprentices came into the spotlight on 13 November, when the Union Industrielle Genevoise awarded prizes to the eight most meritorious apprentices in the field of mecatronics (mechanical and electronics engineering) in the Canton of Geneva. The recipients included Florian Métral, an electronics apprentice at CERN who has just obtained his CFC (Certificat Fédéral de Capacité). CERN apprentices have received the award on many occasions, underlining the strength of training at CERN.

CERN's long tradition of training apprentices, more than 200 in all, stretches back over 30 years. Every year, 7 to 8 apprentices qualify as electronics technicians, documentalists and laboratory technicians at the end of their training at CERN. CERN apprentices acquire a wealth of experience during the three years they spend with the Laboratory as they generally complete around ten different placements in the various technical groups. 'We must pay tribute to the members of the personnel responsible for supervising and training these young people in their groups', underlines Jean-Marc Bouché, head of CERN's apprenticeship programme. 'By doing so, they are contributing to the Laboratory's vital training mission'.