Train to hire: GEODIS invests in basic training for its future "Hazardous Materials" drivers

At both its Lillebonne and Villers-Saint-Paul sites in France, all of which are dedicated to the chemical sector, GEODIS is offering integrated training to 22 job seekers. The training is offered in partnership with Pôle Emploi [the French national employment agency], the training organization AFTRAL, and the French Driving School (ECF). As part of the bargain, trainees will receive “hazardous materials” driver positions on permanent contract.

Since last February, GEODIS’ Lillebonne site has been supporting ten job seekers through a customized career development course, in preparation for their recruitment in May as “chemical-gas” drivers on permanent work contracts.

Meanwhile, each will have benefited from an integrated training given by the ECF, which will include: the heavy vehicle license CE (authorizing, in France, the driving of vehicles whose materials or merchandise exceed 7.5 tons); FIMO (Obligatory minimum basic training) skills training; and ADR (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) authorization. The skill development of future drivers will be provided by GEODIS, which will get its new hires the “super heavy” CE license and train them for several weeks, in teams of two, on the specific processes of its clients.

“As the transport sector in France faces serious challenges in recruitment and driver retention, employee skills and the stability of our teams are more than ever the key elements of our quality of service,” explains Olivier Royer, GEODIS’ Executive Vice President Road Transport. “This is especially true in the areas of chemical and gas, which demand a high level of technical sophistication and unfailing safety.”

A similar project is underway at the Villers-Saint-Paul site, which also specializes in the transport of chemical and gas products. It involves twelve job seekers, holding only a C license at the start, who will undergo 280 hours of training (FIMO, ADR, CE license) conducted by AFTRAL, in order to be hired on permanent contract.

With these measures, GEODIS, as a leading employer in France, reinforces its commitment to training and development. Following Lillebonne and Villers-Saint-Paul, similar train-to-hire campaigns are already being planned for other GEODIS chemical sites.

This project is co-financed by GEODIS and OPCA Transports, an agency that finances professional training in the transport sector. It benefited from the support of Pôle Emploi in the preselection of candidates and the payment of compensation during their training.